Willful Love
by FairDrea
Summary: She was a nobody looking for a way out. She did not want to be saved. Michelangelo wanted to save her though. He wanted to love her, even if her hardened heart wouldn't let him. But can Michelangelo settled for a one-sided love? Michelangelo x OC.
1. Disowned

Disclaimer: I own nothing TMNT related and make no profit off of the writing of this story. Nadia is my OC though, so if you have any intentions on her, please ask :)

Chapter One: Disowned

The thing about being stressed out to the breaking point and emotionally and physically exhausted was that there was no escaping the wretched combination. Once they all set in, they set in hard and fast and clung to you like a leech, unwilling to let your mind rest, to let your body sink into an oblivious state.

That's what Nadia Ramos was feeling right now. Stressed out and exhausted. Stepping out onto the paved sidewalk, she looked up at the buildings looming all around her, blinking her blood shot, liquid brown eyes. She wondered, for the millionth time that week, if she had made the right choice coming to New York, wondered if trusting her impulsive judgment had been the right decision. New York was a long ways from Costa Mesa, California. But that had been the point, hadn't it? Get as far away from home as possible? Leave the crippling pain, the constant ridicule and the feeling of being alone when she never really was on the opposite side of the continent?

Resentment constricted her heart and she looked down, blinking back tears. They hadn't even given her a chance to explain. Once her secret was out, they'd pushed her away. They had pushed her to this, to leaving them all behind and starting a new life without them. They no longer wanted her, so she had done them the favor of leaving.

Her hand drifted to the gentle swell of her stomach and a sad smile curved her full lips upward. She wasn't alone. Not completely. She had a life to care for, a life to love. She made a vow to remind herself of that every day, several times if needed. The city may have scared her, but there were opportunities here. Her future here may have been muddled, but at least it held promise.

She pulled her apartment keys from the small clutch she carried with her, then plucked a few alligator clips still stuck to the hem of her blouse free and dropped them into the satin confines before snapping it shut. She started forward, ducking back to avoid others passing by, then lifted a delicate hand as she stepped onto the yellow curb. All she wanted to do at this point was go home, curl up on her beat up couch in front of her not-so-impressive television with a cup of hot cacao and watch re-runs of Friends until she fell asleep.

A taxi slowed, approaching the curb and she smiled, already anticipating the feel of ceramic heat cupped between her hands.

*~*~*~*~*

"Another night, another rescue," Michelangelo muttered, watching the scene below him unfold. His eyes had been trained on the young woman for a while now, waiting to see if she was just another victim-in-waiting.

"Come on, walk home. You know you want to," he murmured, feeling the edge of boredom. He didn't enjoy standing in one spot for very long. His brothers constantly antagonized him for that, commenting on the possibility of attention deficit disorder or some crap like that. The woman was still standing there, the orange lamplight bathing over her still form. And he was itching to do _something._ That something would more than likely involve her.

He played a liable scenario out in his head. _She's going to turn to the left, walk close to the buildings and look around all paranoid because she KNOWS she made the wrong decision. Oh, what's this? An alley? Should she walk by? She hesitates, but does anyway. Bam…street thug. He grabs her, the Great Michelangelo makes his heroic appearance. Damsel is saved, our great hero disappears into the night. No thanks needed, fair dudette. Just doing my job._

She moved suddenly, stepping towards the street and lifting a hand. The lamplight glinted off of the several silver rings that adorned her fingers. The movement surprised him. He knew that people used cabs, but one hardly ever saw the people in this part of the city taking advantage of the overpriced mode of transportation.

A taxi pulled over to the side and before the woman could reach for the handle, a tall man in a thick, leather jacket jumped in front of her, ignoring her entirely and taking advantage of her ride. Michelangelo's eyes narrowed. "Ooh, not smooth dude," he muttered, shaking his head.

He expected the woman to step back, to allow the rude sleaze that towered over her by a foot easily to take the cab she'd hailed and wait patiently for another. Once again, she surprised him.

Her little hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of the tailored leather. He hadn't even started to turn around before she verbally laid into him, angry Hispanic phrases tripping easily off her tongue. She was cussing him out. She _had_ to be. The look on the man's face was priceless. He quickly backed away, trying to get away from the vocal lashing she was giving him, wincing when she advanced and her voice rose, her words coming out more rapidly.

"Alright…al_right!"_ he yelped, holding his hands up in surrender. "Calm down lady, I'll get the next one."

The young woman stopped, straightened and tossed her hair. "That's what I thought," she said derisively before turning her back on the man and walking back to the waiting taxi, her heels clicking smartly against the pavement.

Michelangelo couldn't stop the small chuckle working its way out. Quite the woman - taking on a man bigger than her and winning. Although he couldn't really blame the guy. She was speaking in a different language and she sounded _furious._ And there was just something about the fury of a Spanish woman that was both frightening and beautiful. You really had to respect it.

He started to move away from the ledge, convinced that there was no danger to be expected tonight, when she stopped again, her hand resting on the frame of the metal door. She was motionless for a moment and then she looked up…right at him.

Her eyes, an endless liquid brown, so dark that they were almost black, stared up at him, framed by a mass of loose, silken ringlets. His breath caught and he forgot how to think. He forgot to move. She was looking right at him…and all he could do was stare back. Her eyes narrowed and the spell was broken. Michelangelo jerked away from the ledge, breathing as if he had just jumped half of the rooftops in Manhattan.

_Crap! Leo's gonna kill me. He's gonna kill me!! Maybe she didn't see me. Even if she did…she can't be sure of what she saw…right? _

He waited several minutes, then inched close to the ledge once more, his heart hammering. He peered over the edge, his hands sliding over the rough stone. The taxi was gone and so was the girl. And he felt…disappointed.

Sighing, he turned away, his brows knit together. Disappointed? Why was he disappointed? It wasn't like he knew her. He hadn't saved her. They'd made eye contact. "Woohoo, eye contact," he grumbled sourly. "Now she's gonna hunt me down and tell me that she wants to live with me, to have my babies, that she loves me to distraction."

His wayward thoughts made him laugh. It was an empty sound that echoed in the stillness of the night surrounding him. The waiting city no longer held any appeal to him. All he wanted at that moment was to go home and hopefully not dream about a tiny slip of a woman with liquid eyes and a mass of hair that he was convinced felt just like silk. She was nothing - a nobody in the mass of ungrateful faces that he'd looked upon in his years of saving the city.

But she was a nobody that he would see again and very soon – though under entirely different circumstances. She would need him next time…and so would her child.


	2. Savior

**A/N**: Aaand back again! This fic was very unexpected. Was just sitting around, minding my own business and BAM…there was Nadia. Persistent little thing. Anyway, if any of you read Heavenly Prophecy, I'm bringing Alex back in. So this is a sequel to Heavenly Prophecy. I'd like to thank Mel, Mikell and inudemon for your reviews. I really appreciate it. And a HUGE thanks to Mikell for being my beta again!! Love ya hun!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing TMNT related and make no profit from the writing of this fic. Alex and Nadia are OC's of mine so please ask before using. Thank you!

**Chapter Two: Savior**

"Yeah, I see him. Just…gimme a sec to get there." Michelangelo's eyes narrowed as he directed his character through a maze of abandoned buildings and bodies. "Whatever, I am not slow," he muttered into the headset, angling the tiny joystick on his PS3 controller to the right and slipping undetected behind a large caravan truck. "If you only knew me in person, dude, you'd be eating those words. Ea-ting."

The person on the other end of his connection made a smart remark and Michelangelo laughed softly, the sound quickly dying off once he had the enemy in his sites. "Alright, I'm on him. Yup…yeah. Just sneak up on the other side and…THERE! Yes, last one down! Well-," an evil smirk curled his wide mouth and he added very quietly, "Not the last one. Not yet anyway. Hey, Eric?" He waited for the response and his smile grew. "Nice knowin' ya buddy." He opened fire on the character he had just teamed up with only seconds before, crowing in victory as he watched him crumbled to the ground.

His opponent sputtered over the open connection, only heightening Michelangelo's amusement. "How was that not fair, dude? Last man standing, remember? Not last two guys. I gotta go anyway. See you on tonight, maybe? Yeah? Alright cool. Later Eric."

Still laughing, Michelangelo cut the connection to his RP friend and removed his headset, placing it and his controller on the table before stretching his arms over his head. The bones shifted, cracked in places, and he groaned, slowly falling back against the couch.

"Pull another RP all-nighter?"

Michelangelo dropped his head back and smiled up at the woman standing over him. "Hey, sis. I was actually up about an hour and half ago. Just a quick side-game before everyone got up. Even made coffee."

Alex, Raphael's wife, smiled and leaned over, folding her arms over the back of the couch near Michelangelo's head. "Donnie's going to love you for that."

"You love me too, because I'm going to let you snag a cup before everyone else gets up and I won't tell a soul."

"You're a saint," she murmured, quickly pushing off the couch and shuffling to the kitchen, the flared ends of her pajama pants moving like bells around her slippered feet. She returned moments later, steaming coffee cup in hand and a blissful smile of anticipation on her face. Michelangelo took the mug, waiting for her to lower her pregnant bulk down to the couch, adjust Raphael's large sweatshirt around her and get situated before handing it back to her.

"You really shouldn't be allowing me to do this," she muttered with a tiny smirk before lifting the mug to her lips and lightly blowing to cool the scalding liquid before taking a sip.

"It's one cup. Unlike Don and Leo, I don't feel like you should have to give up the one thing you love entirely just because you're preggers. Besides. One cup is okay, right?"

"Technically two." She winked at him and moved closer, leaning against him. "We'll see if I can get away with another one before anyone else wakes up."

Settling back into the couch and slipping an arm around Alex's shoulders, Michelangelo began to flip through channels, knowing there was nothing interesting on but the whole channel surfing thing was something he did out of habit. "What are you doing up so early anyway, babe?"

"Oh, that knucklehead brother of yours is taking up the entire bed. I tried to get comfortable but…well," she gestured towards her stomach and smiled wryly, "kind of impossible to do with Sophie here kicking me like crazy."

"Probably all that coffee you're drinkin'"

Laughing, Alex elbowed Michelangelo lightly in the arm. "Shut up. You're the one encouraging this."

Settling for a little early morning Fresh Prince, Michelangelo tossed the remote aside and placed a hand gently on Alex's stomach, feeling the familiar swell of pride and love when his niece shift restlessly, kicking at his palm. "You're gonna be a big, bad ninja, just like your Uncle Mikey," he crooned affectionately.

Alex watched him in content silence. Out of all of Raphael's brothers, she knew Michelangelo was going to take to the whole Uncle thing the easiest. He may have allowed her a few cups of coffee here and there without ratting her out but he was very careful with her. Of course, their friendship had been formed almost immediately. His laid back attitude had been such a comfort to her when she'd woke up in unfamiliar territory after the night Danny had betrayed her. She had felt alone and terrified – Michelangelo had been the only one to calm her anxieties and make her feel safe. The others had followed suit, but they had taken their time with it, alienating her first. She hadn't understood them then, hadn't understood their ways, their paranoia. She'd had her own to deal with so her narrow mind hadn't stretched out to take in other people's issues at that time. She'd come around quickly though, thanks to Michelangelo's encouragement and optimistic outlook on his own life. Even though she had fallen in love with Raphael and married him, her friendship with Michelangelo was special. It was him she came to after a fight with Raphael.

It was him she could trust with her fears and quirks of her pregnancy. She couldn't talk to Leonardo, Raphael or Splinter about labor pains of feeling sick – they would smother her and confine her to bed. Donatello would go all doctor on her and do much the same, keeping up a detailed running commentary on what to expect throughout her pregnancy while doing so until Alex felt the need to rip her hair out and scream at the walls enclosing her. Michelangelo just sat and listened, gave her comfort when she needed it, eased her fears with jokes and stories of what he and Sophia would do together once she was born, the adventures they would go on, the trouble they would no doubt get into. Raphael was her rock that she loved to distraction, but Michelangelo was her sanity.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked after a while, finding it strange that he was. Michelangelo was usually the hardest out of the four to get out of bed.

He looked up, his hand stopped moving and rested comfortably on her stomach where Sophia entertained herself by kicking it constantly. "Couldn't sleep," he admitted.

"You? Really?"

He had the grace to blush and look down, his brows drawing together.

"Hey." Alex pushed his chin up gently with her fingertips. "What's going on in that head of yours, Mikey?"

"I think I was seen last night."

She couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her. "You were seen? Mikey…how?"

"I was out patrolling and made a stop over by 111th and St. Nicolas Avenue where all of those muggings have been going on. Figured I'd see if anyone needed saving," he said with a shrug, knowing it was no excuse but using it anyway. "There was this girl. She was comin' out of that salon on St. Nicolas and I figured she was gonna walk home, get mugged, you know…the usual."

"But she didn't?" Alex asked, starting to warm to the story and get over her initial shock. Michelangelo was careful. He wouldn't risk the safety of his family intentionally.

"No." Amusement lit his eyes and he chuckled softly. "She hailed a cab and this guy cut her off, tried to take her ride. She ended up cussing him out in Spanish. It was hot, Alex. Not gonna lie."

"Didn't expect you to," Alex said, biting her bottom lip to keep the giggles at bay.

"So, she gets her ride back," he continued. "And I started to walk away but she stops moving and just…stands there. I don't know why I stuck around…but I did. Next thing I know, she's looking up, right at me."

"Mikey, you don't know if she even saw you."

"Yeah, but Alex…I…I couldn't look away from her. She had these huge, _huge_ brown eyes and this mass of dark curls. And she just…stared at me. And I felt it." He sighed, shaking his head. He knew he sounded like he was going on half-cocked about nothing right now, but that's how he felt about the entire situation. She had been just another girl. Just another person to rescue should she take a step in the wrong direction. He'd forgotten so many "just another's." Why couldn't he forget her? "I felt like she knew I was there."

"It was dark out, Mikey," Alex tried to reason. "We'll just assume that she didn't and keep this between us, okay?"

He nodded, but he couldn't shake the anxious feeling. Those dark eyes, even now, watched him…saw him. There was something about her, something he needed to know. "Yeah," he murmured. "That's probably a good idea."

"Well, don't you two look all cozy?"

Alex went stiff and shoved her half finished coffee at Michelangelo. He hissed as some of the contents sloshed over the side and splashed onto his shell, the scalding liquid burning his side. Alex dabbed covertly at it, murmuring a quick "sorry" before plastering an overly bright smile on her face and tilting her head up to look at her husband. "Morning, hun!"

The tone of her voice, the forced cheerfulness, was the giveaway. Raphael leaned over the back of the couch, took the coffee cup from Michelangelo and looked at the contents. "Mikey's not a cream kinda guy, babe. Nice try though."

Alex cursed softly, the smile slipping from her face.

"You're supposed to be steerin' clear of this stuff."

Dropping her head back, Alex's narrowed gaze settled on her husband once more. "Hey Raph, if someone told you that you had to stop going out in the middle of the night and pounding the snot out of every street thug you came along…how would you feel?"

"I see where you're goin' with this. And I don't care." He came around the couch and sat beside her, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and taking a long sip of _her_ coffee. He waited for her feisty comeback, but when none came, he felt trepidation trip its way up his spine. He turned and swallowed hard when his eyes met the flashing, hostile one's of his very pregnant, and very angry wife.

"You can tell me I can't have coffee all you want, Raph. But don't you _dare, _for one minute think that you get to sit there and rub it in my face that you can!" Her hands shot out, snagging the coffee cup from his loose grip. She tilted her head back and drained the contents quickly before he could stop her, then forcefully shoved it at him, catching him in the side and making him grunt softly. "Jerk."

Raphael stared down at the little bit of cream and dregs remaining and bit back a chuckle. "Dang, now I'm outta coffee."

Rolling her eyes, Alex moved closer to her husband and leaned against him, smiling when his arm came around her. "You're such a pain."

Raphael set the empty coffee cup on the side table and laid his free hand on her stomach. Sophia gave a huge "good morning daddy" kick, causing Alex to wince and her breath to catch. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes and laying her head back on the couch. "How does she know that it you?"

"Smart kid." Raphael lifted the hand resting on Alex's shoulder and brushed his fingertips over her temple. "You okay?"

"Oh yeah." Alex shifted, pressing farther back into the couch and curling her back slightly to ease the ache around the base of her spine. "She seems to think that you _really_ need to know just how excited she is to know you're there, never mind mama's ribs."

"Hey, you've got an appointment today, right?" Michelangelo asked, nudging her arm gently with his elbow.

"Yup. At 11:45."

The smile Raphael had been wearing was quickly replaced with a scowl. "I don't see why ya don't just let Donnie take care of it."

Alex stifled a sigh. _The never ending battle_ _begins again,_ she thought. Raphael, as well as Donatello and Leonardo had been on her case about letting Donatello take care of every little medical related thing in regards to her pregnancy. She had balked immediately at the idea. She could understand their fears, but having Donatello scouting her out in places she didn't want him near? No thanks. The only thing the four brothers had managed to do was convince her to wait until she was 15 weeks along to go into a doctor – after Donatello had the chance to get his hands on an ultrasound machine and make sure there was no reason that she shouldn't be going to an actual doctor. Opting to construct one and go the cheaper route had still managed to clean them out of all extra money from Donatello's tech-support job and Alex's college grants.

He'd procured a small Doppler at first to monitor the fetal heart rate. That had been an emotional day. Alex had faced it with a combined sense of fear and anticipation. Fear that they would hear nothing, anticipation that they would. When that heart beat had sounded over the small speaker, she'd clutched Raphael's hand as tightly as possible, leaning into him when he bent over her to share the joy that their baby was alive and well.

The ultrasound was a little different. Alex had been bouncing off the walls in her excitement when it had finally shown up. She wanted to see her baby, to look at those little hand and feet, to see that little heart flutter strongly. Raphael had been excited as well, but facing the entire day with a sense of unease. That day was the day they would find out if Alex should continue letting Donatello help her through her pregnancy, or go up top to a doctor. He was afraid, just as his brothers had been, that there maybe be something wrong with the baby, that his mutation would make it impossible for Alex to carry to term and actually give birth. The word "defect" was constantly in his mind.

That baby had showed up on the screen though, looking undeniably human and perfectly healthy. When Donatello had told them it was a girl, Raphael joked about how many boyfriends he'd be able to scare off just by being him with tears lingering in his eyes and Alex had hugged him tightly, laughing. With the proof that there was nothing to be worried about, Alex had scheduled her first appointment with a doctor. That hadn't stopped Raphael from trying to change her mind though, even months later when she was so close to her due date and was entirely comfortable with her doctor.

"Raph, we've been over this," she murmured.

"I know, babe. I'd just…I'd feel more comfortable with you here, where I can be."

"And I would feel more comfortable where I can have access to an epidural. Can Donnie swing one of those?" His silence was the only answer she needed. She gave him a loving smile, none-the-less and patted his leg in reassurance. "We're seriously not in the position to purchase anything else that may or may not be needed, Raph. I mean, what if I need a c-section? What if the baby has fluid in its lungs or jaundice? There are too many factors here that need to be considered." she added softly. "Hun, I'm going to be fine. The baby's going to be fine. My doctor is just as trained and just as educated as Donnie. Knowing what you're doing is kind of one of the requirements for being a doctor."

"You're losin' the argument again, Raph. Give it up," Michelangelo said, the smile he shot his brother sympathetic.

Raphael shook his head, standing up and snatching the coffee mug from the table. "I always do."

Alex chuckled softly, then leaned back against Michelangelo. She had become impossibly affectionate in her third trimester, something Donatello attributed to her maternal instincts kicking in. "So, mind if I tag along to your appointment?"

She tilted her head back and looked up at him. "What ulterior motives do you have?"

"None," he assured her. It was a lie, but he knew he looked convincing enough in his innocence. Raphael would want someone with her, watching her back and making sure she was safe. They had nothing to fear anymore since the entire foot was nearly wiped out and those remaining had no idea that Alex had been stripped of all prophecy related powers. They were still overly cautious with her, regardless. Raphael and Leonardo were supposed to give Casey a hand in moving a few things out to the farm for the harsher part of winter, Donatello would no doubt be working all morning, so that left Michelangelo. Aside from being her protection, Michelangelo knew that Alex's route would pass by the hair salon that girl had been standing outside of. He couldn't deny that he wanted to see her again. Just one little look.

"Yeah, you can come. Shouldn't take long. They're just going to check out a few things and listen to the heartbeat. Standard make-the-pregnant-woman-uncomfortable doctor's visit." Pushing away from him, she slowly stood, rubbing her hands at the small of her back. "I'm going to go lay down for a bit, see if I can't get some more sleep. Let you know when I'm ready?"

"Sounds good to me, babe. I'm not goin' anywhere."

She started to walk away, then shot a quick look at the kitchen were Raphael was and quickly leaned over the back of the couch close to Michelangelo. "We're stopping for a half-caff latte on the way back."

He laughed, already anticipating breaking one of his brother's strict rules for 'Alex's wellbeing'. "You got it, sis."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Winter is officially no more fun after Christmas," Michelangelo muttered, pulling his coat tighter around him and hunching his shoulders, wishing he'd gone for the lined hooded sweatshirt instead of the standard. He and Alex had set out into the cold after sticking mainly to the sewer tunnels until they could no longer. They had only been walking for several minutes, Alex with her arm hooked through Michelangelo's, but the cold was already starting to seep into his bones and make him shiver.

Alex peeked up at him from under the brim of her cream knit newsboy hat and smiled. "I don't know what you're complaining about. I think it feels great."

"That's because you're all," he gestured at her stomach which was wrapped in a light pink cardigan, her charcoal pea coat hanging open around it, "pregnant and stuff."

Laughing, she took off her long scarf and wrapped it around Michelangelo's neck several times. "You know, you didn't have to come with me."

"Yeah, I did," he replied, his voice muffled by the thick fabric. He reached up and tugged it down a little, then shoved his hand back in the pocket of his coat. "You really think that hot-head husband of yours would let you just wander out without one of us?"

"One can hope."

There was a note of regret in her voice that caught Michelangelo off guard. He stalled, pulling her to a stop with him. "You sick of the lair or something?" he asked gently, not wanting to sound defensive.

Alex sighed, slipping her arm free from his and folding her arms above her protruding stomach. "No…well. Kind of. I don't know. It's just…I miss having a place of my own. I miss having windows and watching the snow fall at night. I miss having carpet."

"Have you…talked to Raph at all about this?"

"Not yet. I was going to." She watched a few people pass by, shooting them speculative looks, then took Michelangelo's arm and started to lead him down the sidewalk. "I was going to see what he'd think about getting an apartment. Nothing huge. Just…a place of our own, you know? It's not that I don't like living with you guys, it's just…" her voice drifted off.

"You miss your privacy and having a place you can call your own?"

"Yeah."

"Well, talk to him. See what he says. I don't blame ya, Alex. Really, I don't. I know you love Raph and I know you guys are married and all but he can't just expect you to give up everything you're used to having. Besides…Sophie doesn't need to be raised in the sewer. She deserves better than that."

"She also deserves to be spoiled mercilessly by her uncles and grandfather," she said softly. "I don't want to offend anyone and make them think I'm not grateful for everything you guys have done for me. I just…I want to have some of the normal life, you know?"

"I know babe." Michelangelo slipped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close. "Just talk to Raph, then you guys can talk to us about it. I'm not offended. Pretty sure Leo, Donnie and Splinter won't be either."

"Thanks, Mikey." She patted the hand over her shoulder and rested her head on his. "Ever my voice of reason."

He grinned. "Yeah well, someone's gotta be. I mean, you've to the whole prego brain going and-."

A scream from the alley just a few feet ahead of them interrupted him. They exchanged a look, then lurched forward, the only two to react to the sound as others walked by, ignoring it. They came around the corner expecting to see what Michelangelo often referred to as "the norm" – a woman being mugged or worse by the every-day run-of-the-mill street thug. What they encountered was the woman, but no thug. She leaned against the wall, hunched over, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. Her face was hidden by the hair that fell free from under the hood of the long, wool coat draped over her frame. Agonized, guttural sounds slipped through her lips. Her shoulder heaved and trembled.

"Alex…maybe we should call the cops of something," Michelangelo said, taking a step away from the situation. He was good at saving women from being mugged and taken advantage of. He wasn't all that great about helping them from an unknown danger that looked more Donatello-related.

Alex was already rushing forward to help the woman though, grabbing her arm once she reached her. "Ma'am, ma'am are you okay?"

"No…I…the baby," she managed, her voice edged with pain. "I don't know…I don't know what's happening."

"Here, let me help you." Alex went in front of her, trying to help her up from her hunched over position. "Just lean on me. We're on our way to the doctor. We can catch a cab and I'll stay with you until they get you into a room. When are you due?"

The woman straightened, her arms still wrapped around her stomach which was considerably smaller than Alex's. "Not for," she drug in a breath. "Not for another five months."

"Okay, well just stay calm." Alex kept her voice steady and relaxed. "We'll get you taken care of, okay?"

"We?" the woman asked as they approached Michelangelo, waiting at the opening of the alley.

"Yeah, me and my brother-in-law."

They were only a few feet from Michelangelo when pain seized the woman once again, doubling her over and ripping a cry of alarm from her. She stumbled forward and Michelangelo met her half way, catching her in his arms. He knelt on the cold pavement with her, holding her as her body shook uncontrollably and she whimpered. "Hey, it's okay, babe. Breathe," he instructed lightly. "Take a deep breath, there ya go." He continued to encourage her until the trembling stopped and she was breathing normally again. "There, all better. Now, let's get you up." He helped her up, one arm still circling her waist to keep her steady. "You feelin' okay?"

She lifted her head and Michelangelo's heart lurched as his breath caught in his throat. Wide eyes, so deep brown they were almost black, framed by chocolate colored loose ringlets. He fell straight into those eyes, so much so that he never noticed her hand shooting up to push his hood back until it was too late.


	3. Delusional

**A/N:** Thank you to Christy with your help on the translations!! Translations for Spanish phrass are at the bottom. When Naida goes off on tangents, I'm just going to put it in italics so no one has to run for a translation website to figure it out. And thanks to Arietti, Mikell, Melody Winters, Named After Irony, inudemon02, and Echohunter for your reviews!! Thank you big time to Mikell for being my every loyal beta. Love you sweetie!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this story. Nadia Ramos and Alex are my OC's though so ask if you ever go out on a whim and want to use them for anything.

**Chapter Three: Delusional**

At first all Nadia saw was startling, almost crystal blue and endless optimism. And for a brief, blissful moment, that's all she could focus on. Then her vision seemed to expand to include everything surrounding those amazing eyes and she felt panic constrict her heart. She was standing in the alley outside of her apartment building. The pain fogging her mind gave away as her vision cleared and several things came to light at once - the first being that she was still having contractions. The ache had subsided for a moment but she knew it was only a matter of time before it returned, intent on bringing her to her knees once more. The second thing she noticed was that she was in the arms of the owner of those amazing eyes. And the third…that those amazing eyes belonged to a human sized turtle.

Gasping, she jerked back out of the turtle-things arms, forgetting all about the pain, forgetting that she needed to get to the hospital, forgetting that there was something very wrong with her pregnancy right now.

"Dios mio!" she whispered, lifting a trembling hand to her mouth. Her pulse tripped wildly, her breath coming out in little panicked gasps. She couldn't possibly be seeing what she was. She shook her head, backing away from it until her back hit the wall of her apartment building. *"No estoy viendo esto," she muttered.

The turtle-thing spoke, startling her into a whole new realm of shock. "Um, any idea what she just said?"

Nadia didn't give any attention to what the woman standing beside him replied with. She started pacing instead, talking to herself in rapid Spanish, attempting to convince herself that she was not seeing what she was. _"Think rationally, Nadia. You are four months pregnant, you have not had a decent night's sleep in weeks, you are exhausted, overworked, underfed and on top of all of that, you're in pain because of contractions you should __**not**__ be having. You're delirious. Yes, that's it. You are completely delirious." _

She stopped pacing, her brows knitting together. She lifted her hands in front of her and began picking at the long nail on her index finger with the thumb and pointer finger of her opposing hand. It was a nervous habit of hers, one she did almost as often as she talked to herself when in a bad situation.

"_Why wouldn't you be seeing a giant turtle in this state of mind? It makes perfect sense that you would be. Remember when Carlos brought home that baby turtle when we were just kids and you were so sad because he grew sick and died. This is that turtle. You tried to help him, now he's returning the favor because your mind wants him to. Tell him thank you, Nadia. Go, thank the nice imaginary turtle man and his made-up "sister-in-law." They may be figments of your overly creative imagination, but at least they're here. No one else is going to be."_

The honesty of the last sentence stung and she ignored it. Turing, she faced the woman and turtle with a bright, albeit strained smile. She walked up to the turtle, placed her hands on either side of his face and said very softy, "Gracias por la ayuda, mi tortuga imaginaria."

Michelangelo blinked once, entirely stunned by the woman's unexpected actions. Then his shocked expression melted away, leaving a smitten grin in its place. Alex watched the exchange, just as stunned as Michelangelo. When that goofy smile appeared on his face, she rolled her eyes. "You're worthless to me now, aren't you?"

He didn't answer and she sighed, going to the woman and placing a hand on her arm to gain her attention. "What's your name, hun?"

"My name?" Nadia's gaze snapped to Alex, her liquid brown eyes wide. Alex didn't like that look, not one bit. Her eyes were glazed over, unhealthy shadows under them, her face far too pale for her heritage. And the way she was staring at them…it was unsettling. "My name is Nadia Ramos."

"Okay, Nadia." Alex quickly took over the situation, gently shoving Michelangelo aside and taking Nadia's arm. Flipping his hood back up, Michelangelo took up the other side and they walked her out of the alley. "My name is Alex Hamato and this is my brother-in-law, Michelangelo. I think we need to get you to the hospital, okay?"

"I was just on my way there. My contractions…they've been anywhere from seven minutes to thirteen minutes apart. I've only had a few but I was still scared. It's too early." Her hand clasped Alex's where it rested on her arm, her feverish gaze locking on hers. "I don't want to lose my baby. I know I didn't want this in the first place, but I do now. You have to know that. I want my baby."

It wasn't so much the words, but how they were spoken that made Alex feel the first threads of fear coil their way around her senses. There was something very wrong with Nadia. The hand that clasped hers, each finger bearing an intricate band of silver, was clammy and cold. She lifted her worried gaze to Michelangelo but found him watching Nadia intently. "Michelangelo, can you-."

Nadia suddenly pitched forward, a distorted scream leaving her. Michelangelo caught her before her knees had a chance to hit the pavement, moving in front of her and wrapping one arm around her waist. "I've got you," he said softly "Nadia, babe. Look at me." She lifted her head and stared intently at him, mewling as pain wrapped itself tightly around her. "There ya go," he coaxed. He gave her a reassuring smile, not entirely sure that it would be effective but hoping that it would be. "Ya gotta breathe, Nadia. It's gonna hurt a lot worse if you don't. Can you breathe for me?"

She nodded jerkily, never taking her eyes from him. Michelangelo couldn't help himself. She looked so lost and vulnerable. And those eyes…they were so dark. Even clouded over with fear, they were beautiful. He lifted a hand and brushed her hair out of her face, sucking in a breath when he felt the heat radiating from her skin. "Breathe, Nadia," he encouraged again, noticing that she wasn't.

She let it out slowly, then took another deep breath. Her gaze bored into his, her hands clutched at his arms. She focused on nothing but him as she drew in large gulps of air, feeling the pain start to slip away and dull.

"Mikey, we have to move."

He acknowledged Alex's simple command with a quick nod, gently helping Nadia to stand. "Okay, now I want you to lean on me. I'm not gonna let you go. Just lean on me and concentrate on your breathing. We're going to get you to the hospital, okay?"

"Okay," came the strained whisper.

They left the alley and made their way quickly down the sidewalk towards the hospital. Alex remained close to Nadia's side, ready to catch her should she pitch sideways. When it became clear that Nadia was having difficulty focusing on keeping the pain at bay, Michelangelo switched tactics, trying to distract her by keeping her talking.

"So, where ya from, babe?"

"Costa…Mesa, California," she managed, feeling another contraction edging its way along.

"You're a long way from home. What brings you to New York?"

"Don't you know, already?" she asked, confused by his line of questioning. He was a figment of her imagination. Being so, shouldn't he already know the ugliness of her past?

Michelangelo exchanged a confused look with Alex, then decided to go with it. The girl was obviously sick and the only thing he could really do to help her would be to make her comfortable. "Yeah. I know. But I want you to tell me. I like listening to your voice," he added with a charming grin.

Nadia flashed him a tight smile. "Okay. Mi familia…my family…they are very straight-lace Catholics, very immersed in their traditions. Getting pregnant out of wedlock goes against their beliefs. When I told them I was having a baby, they were very unhappy. They felt I had purposely disrespected them. Finding out whose baby it was only made matters worse. I waited-," she sucked in a breath, her eyes screwing shut as pain sluiced through her.

"Deep breath, babe."

It was difficult, drawing in breath when her lungs felt so tight, but she managed. "I waited until I could no longer hide the fact that I was pregnant," she continued, her voice a little more tense. "I knew they would be very upset and disappointed in me. I never expected them to disown me though. My father, he was furious. He's never hit me before but-." Her womb contracted violently and she jerked back, crying out and wrapping her arms around her stomach. She forgot about concentrating, forgot about breathing. Her pain seemed to despise her for trying to ignore it and was making her pay for her attempts. "Something's wrong," she wailed, tears tracking over her pale cheeks. "This isn't right. Not right, not right, not right."

Nadia quickly slipped over the edge of reason straight into blind hysteria. When Michelangelo and Alex tried to reach for her, she jerked away, Spanish phrases flowing from her mouth.

"Mikey, think you can pick her up?" Alex asked, watching the other women wide-eyed and pressing a self-conscious hand to her stomach.

He nodded and went to Nadia, ignoring her when she pushed at him, her fearful eyes seeming to plead with him. He scooped her up and cradled her carefully against his chest, whispering to her, keeping his gaze locked on hers. Alex made a move forward and he quickly fell into step beside her. People spared them curious glances, but they pushed on uncaring, Michelangelo keeping his head down to shadow his face.

Once the hospital was in sight, Alex rushed ahead to get help, knowing Michelangelo would not risk exposure by going in. The doors opened to admit her, a whoosh of warm arm curling around her. "Excuse me," she said, rushing up to the admitting desk where an elderly woman sat in obscenely bright scrubs, her hair pulled up in a meticulous bun. The woman glanced up from her computer, a thick brow arching. "My friend is four months pregnant and having really bad contractions. My brother-in-law is just down the block, carrying her. I need help, please."

"What's her name, ma'am?" the receptionist asked in a bored tone, obviously used to dealing with this kind of situation.

"Nadia," Alex said, jogging her brain for the last name. "Nadia Ramos."

"Date of birth?"

"I…I don't know."

The other brow winged up to join its partner. "Does she have insurance?"

Alex looked back over her shoulder, a sense of urgency rushing through her when she saw Michelangelo step up to the doorway, Nadia still in his arms, clutching at his coat. The doors slid open and he balked, taking a step back. "I don't know," Alex ground out, losing her patience as she turned back to the receptionist. "Ma'am please…just…help her."

Not waiting for a response, Alex ran outside to help Michelangelo, wrapping an arm around Nadia's waist when he carefully set her down. She was much calmer now, though obviously still in a great deal of pain. Michelangelo must have talked to her while they were walking. He was so good at calming people – one of his many hidden talents.

"I'll make sure she's okay before I leave," Alex murmured, noticing the worry etched clearly on Michelangelo's face.

He nodded, keeping one arm around Nadia's shoulders. "Okay, we're here, babe." She was staring up at him, those wide, terrified eyes burning into his soul where the need for so much more than he could have hid in the deepest recess. "Remember what I said," he murmured quietly. He indulged in a touch…just one more touch, lifting his hand and running his fingers over her cheek and jaw, cupping her face gently. "Stay calm, focus on your breathing. You're gonna be fine, Nadi."

"Nadi," she repeated in a faint whisper, a dreamy smile transforming her face, showing traces of the beauty she once had been before life had taken a drastic turn on her. "I've never had a nick-name before."

Michelangelo smiled. "You needed one."

Nadia suddenly went up on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms tightly around Michelangelo's neck. "Gracias, mi tortuga imaginaria."

Knowing only the one word, the young terrapin hugged her back, taking care not to hold her too tightly. "You're welcome."

"Come on, Nadia," Alex coaxed, noticing the orderly heading toward them with a wheelchair.

Regretfully, Nadia released Michelangelo. She knew she would never see him again, not unless she was to travel down the dangerous path she had and search him out in states of delirium. She was not a creative person by nature, so having formed this illusion wasn't something she felt she'd be capable of doing again. It was too bad. He had been so kind to her. She wished that she would always remember him but the niggling sense of logic remaining told her it would not be happening. "Demasiado hermosa para olvidar," she murmured, kissing his cheek softly.

The grating of the sliding doors turned Nadia's attention, effectively breaking the calm that had washed over her. Her arms held her stomach protectively. She concentrated on breathing, just as he had told her to. A nurse and an orderly rushed her, the nurse directing her to sit, the orderly commandeering the wheel chair and shooting questions at Alex as they moved back into the warmth of the hospital.

"We're going to take her to the birthing wing, just in case," the orderly informed Alex. "They're cleaning out a room now but we'll have to ask you to wait until we have her settled and the doctor has been in and assessed her condition before seeing her."

"That's fine," Alex said. "I have an appointment that I'm running a little late for. I'll check with the information desk on which room she's in when I'm finished." Before they could wheel Nadia away from her, Alex made them stop and knelt down in front of the woman she had just met. "Nadia, they're going to take care of you now. You're in good hands. I'll come and see you when I'm finished with my appointment and make sure you're okay, alright?"

Nadia gave a jerky nod, still trying to focus on anything besides how badly she was hurting at that moment. "Thank you, Alex."

Alex smiled and patted her leg. "You're welcome. Feel better, okay?" She stood and watched as Nadia was wheeled away, saying a quick prayer for her safety before turning and making her way quickly over to the elevator. At her appointment she sat through a lecture on her tardiness by the nurse, then sat through the discomfort of having one of the more thorough exams. The entire time all she could think about was Nadia – hoping she was okay, that her baby was okay, that she wasn't saying _anything_ in regards to Michelangelo.

When her exam was finished and she was cleared to go, she rushed in getting her clothing back on and made her way quickly back to the birthing wing. A kind, younger woman at the information desk told her that Nadia was in room 163. She wasted no time in getting there and nearly collided with the doctor coming out of her room in the process.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," Alex quickly apologized, glancing past the doctor and seeing that Nadia was sleeping peacefully, the blankets pulled up around her. "Is she okay?"

The doctor, a middle aged man with thick black hair run through with streaks of gray, gave her a speculative once over, tucking his pen in the pocket of his coat. "I'm sorry, you are?"

"I'm Alex Hamato. I'm a friend of hers," she said, the lie slipping easily off her tongue. "My brother-in-law and I brought her here when she started having contractions."

"Well, Mrs. Hamato, it's a good thing you brought her in when you did. Ms. Ramos was going into early labor. It was most likely brought on by a bad diet, high blood pressure and exhaustion. She's resting comfortably but we're going to be keeping her overnight to monitor her and see if her contractions start again. If they do, we'll send her home with a prescription to keep them under control."

"Okay. Thank you, doctor. I'll stop back again in the morning."

The doctor nodded, gave her a kind smile and was on his way. Alex cast another long look at the sleeping woman, sighing softly. Questioning her would have to wait until morning. Leaning forward, she grasped the door handle and pulled the door close, then turned to leave. Outside, thicker clouds had taken over the sky, hanging low and moving slowly over the city, and the temperature had dropped. Alex pulled her coat around her and made her way down the sidewalk, knowing Michelangelo would be waiting for her around the corner of the next alley.

"Oh brother-in-law," she sang softly, her voice carrying the short distance.

Michelangelo stepped out onto the sidewalk, two cups clasped in his hands. "Latte?" he asked when she approached.

She took it gratefully, holding it between her hands and letting the warmth seep into her skin as they walked towards home. "Thanks, hun."

"No problem. Is Nadia okay?"

"I hope so. She was sleeping when I stopped by to check on her. The doctor said she was in early labor. I guess some crazy combination of high blood pressure, exhaustion and a bad diet. I'm going to head back and check on her in the morning though. Make sure she's okay."

"Can I come with?"

Alex shot a worried glance at Michelangelo. It was obvious that he had taken to the young woman. But what good would it do him? She had taken Spanish in high school and although she didn't remember much, she had caught bits and pieces of what Nadia said. It hadn't left her with a good feeling. "I…I guess," Alex said hesitantly. "Just-."

"Just what?" Michelangelo asked when Alex stalled.

She sighed softly then slid her arm around Michelangelo's and rested her head on his shoulder. She loved him so much. He was her brother. She didn't want to see him hurt. "Just…be careful, Mikey. Nadia was in a lot of pain. I'm not entirely sure she understood what happened today. If she has a different attitude about it tomorrow, I don't want you to be hurt by it."

Michelangelo gave her one of those charming grins of his, the kind that could melt even the coldest heart. "Nadia's not like that. Everything'll be cool, Alex. You'll see."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Alex and Michelangelo were on their way back to the hospital the next morning around eight. They had filled the rest of the family in on what had happened, knowing they didn't have a choice in the matter. Leonardo's displeasure with Michelangelo being seen was obvious, but he seemed to be the only one who cared. He kept his opinion to himself, resorting to disappointed looks instead. Looks that Michelangelo easily ignored. Everyone, even Splinter, understood that Michelangelo had no intentions of Nadia seeing him. They had their warnings, they had their reservations, but they also had acceptance, seeing that there wasn't much they could do because the situation had already taken place.

Splinter had agreed with Alex that she should return to the hospital the following morning to make sure that Nadia was okay and that she was going to keep their family's secret safe.

"Alright," Alex said, turning to Michelangelo when they were standing before the hospital entrance. "I'll be out in a bit. I expect another latte for this." She pointed a finger in his face, hidden once again by the hood of his jacket, and gave him a stern look.

"On it, babe," he laughed, giving her a quick salute before turning and heading toward a nearby coffee shop across the street.

Shaking her head, Alex went in. She stopped at the gift shop, picking up a small bouquet of star gazer lilies with a tiny white teddy bear attached to them, then went to the birthing wing. The area was relatively quiet that morning, few nurses moving about the floor and to and from rooms. A small family waited in the family room, two children leaning against a dozing father, looking angelic in sleep. She smiled, thinking of Raphael and Sophia snuggled up on the couch in much the same matter several years down the road.

She paused one room shy of Nadia's. The suite was empty, the bed made with fresh linens. She would be here one day, giving birth to her daughter. Knowing what the room looked like felt like somewhat of a benefit, being that it would be the one thing she could control when that hectic day came.

As she took in the details, two nurses made their way out of Nadia's room, closing the door behind them.

"It's hard to believe this is the same girl they brought in last night," one murmured, catching Alex's attention. She went perfectly still, hoping that the nurses wouldn't pay any attention to her and continue talking.

"I know," the other murmured, making a note on her chart. "She's so lucid now. I mean, the way she was going on last night talking about an imaginary turtle and his sister-in-law - I thought Dr. Ruhndquist was going to ask that she be transferred to Manhattan Psyche." She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I asked her about it this morning and she looked so confused. Asked me what I was talking about and claims that she walked here on her own."

"Poor girl. She must have been really sick when she came in."

The two continued talking as they walked down the hallway to the next patient's room, their voices drifting off. Alex stared at the wall in front of her, feeling a mixture of relief and regret. She didn't remember them. The safety of their family was not in jeopardy. But Michelangelo…

"Ma'am?"

Alex tore her gaze from the spot on the wall, looking at, but not seeing the woman standing next to her. "Hm?"

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

A warm hand touched her arm and Alex jerked, shaking her head. "I'm…sorry," she said softly, now seeing the young nurse standing in front of her, her hazel eyes regarding her in concern. "I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing cheerfulness into her tone. "Just…you know, having a pregnant moment."

The nurse smiled kindly. "Were you here to see a patient?"

She had been. But now…

"Um, yes. Yes I am. But I just got a call and I have to go. Can you…" she held up the bouquet she was still holding with a helpless look. "Could you make sure that Nadia Ramos in room 163 gets these?"

"Sure sweetie, I can do that," she said, taking the bouquet and looking it over. "There's not a card though. Who should I tell her they're from?"

Alex was already on her way down the hallway, her feet moving quickly. The nurse called out to her, but she ignored it. She kept telling herself she was doing the right thing, that this was what Splinter and Leonardo would have wanted her to do. Nadia had forgotten them. It was for the best. She had thought they were nothing more than figments of her fevered imagination. It was a blessing in disguise to all of them. Almost all of them.

Regret almost had her turning around and going back into that room, back to where Nadia lay oblivious to the fact that she and Michelangelo were more than something her subconscious had created. Almost. She dropped her hand to her stomach. Her baby, her family - they were safe right now. There was no guarantee that, in a more stable state of mind, Nadia would be as understanding as she had been yesterday. There was no guarantee that she would accept the fact that what she had seen was real.

She kept moving, quickening her pace until she was once again out in the cold. Michelangelo was leaning against the wall, sipping his coffee. For the first time since she had known him, Alex was afraid to face him. She swallowed hard, clasped her hands together tightly and took a deep, stabilizing breath.

As she approached him, he looked up and even though she couldn't see it, she knew he was smiling his patent Mike-smile. It made her feel even worse.

"Hey sis!" he called, pushing away from the wall and holding up the cup in his other hand. Another latte, one she didn't feel she deserved at all. "How's Nadi? Did she ask about me? Did she gush about how charming and amazing I am and how much she can't wait to see me again?"

She was going to be sick. She could feel the bile rising in her throat. Her steps faltered and she came to a complete stop, feeling the hot prick of tears. She didn't want to do this to him. Not him. Not Mikey.

"Alex? Hey, Alex." Michelangelo hurried to her side, taking her arm. "You okay babe?"

She looked up at him, looked into those baby blues that were always so alive and cheerful. "Mikey…I'm-I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what, Alex?" he asked, his smile slipping.

She grasped the hand on her arm, holding it tightly. "She doesn't remember us, Mikey."

"She doesn't…what?"

"She doesn't remember us. She…she thinks that we were just figments of her imagination. I overheard two nurses talking about it and…and I left. I'm sorry Mikey but I had to think about our safety."

He went impossibly still, his hand falling from her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Mikey," she whispered. And then all she could do was stare up into those lackluster blue eyes and watch as her brother-in-laws heart shattered.

**Translations:**

Dios Mio – My God.

No estoy viendo esto – I am not seeing this.

Gracias por la ayuda, mi tortuga imaginaria – Thank you for your help, my imaginary turtle.

Demasiado hermosa para olvidar – Too beautiful to forget.


	4. Faded Memories

A/N : Sorry this was so long in coming. This chapter, although short, was a total pain in my rear. No one wanted to cooperate with me so I apologize if its total crap. This was a filler chapter – a means to an end. Now that it's out of the way…we can get down to the good stuff!!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT and make now profit from the writing of this fic. Nadia and Alex are both mine though.

Chapter 4: Faded Memories

The distant, rhythmic beeping and lull of hushed voices eventually pulled Nadia from her fitful slumber, pulled her from dreams of imaginary, man-sized turtles captaining giant ships on the high seas, coming to save her from the tyrannical lord holding her hostage. With a tiny groan, Nadia opened her eyes, blinking several times to clear the fog of sleep. Her brows drew together in confusion as she took in her surroundings – a shadowed room with plain white walls, a narrow window with the blinds pulled, a small television mounted on the wall and several machines – where was she?

The beeping that had pulled her from her sleep incessantly caught her attention once more and she glanced back behind her. The creases of confusion smoothed immediately when she saw the variety of hospital machinery lined along the wall beside her bed. That's right. She'd started having contractions and come to the hospital. Events played over in her mind – hazy, blurred images that made no sense. She could remember leaving her apartment and collapsing in the alley. How she got to the hospital though…that she was unclear on.

She sat up in bed, wincing as the IV inserted in her arm tugged lightly. Readjusting the line, she pulled her knees up and draped her arms over them, trying to piece her disjointed thoughts together. She remembered pain. That she could remember _quite_ clearly. She could remember the hospital staff fussing over her and how everything had shifted into clarity once they'd managed to get her contractions to stop and the pain had settled. She winced, recalling how the doctor had told her in no uncertain terms that if she continued treating herself the way she had been, she would lose her baby. Her hands instinctively went to her stomach in a protective gesture, smoothing over the unflattering hospital smock. She wanted her baby. She hadn't intentionally tried to harm it. Things had just been…they'd been so horrible and functioning from day to day had become such an exhausting task.

Obviously she'd been delirious from the exhaustion if her creative memory remembered…a turtle? A big, walking, talking turtle in jeans and a black jacket. Why would she think of a turtle in the midst of all of that confusion and pain? Why would that be the one thing her mind would conjure up to get her through what was happening? She must have been completely out of her mind to create something that bizarre.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and she lifted her head, offering a strained smile to the doctor who walked in.

"How are we today, Ms. Ramos?" he asked as he tucked her chart under his arm and gave her a generic smile of his own.

"I'm fine," she conceded softly. She wasn't entirely comfortable around the man who had lectured her on her poor health and the danger she was putting her unborn child in with her choices. "When can I go home?"

The doctor looked over her chart, his brows lowering slightly. "I'll sign the release forms when I'm done in here. We just need to take a quick blood sample, check the fetus to make sure there are no lingering signs of distress." The chart went under his arm again and he folded his hands in front of him. "The big thing here, Nadia, is that you start taking care of yourself. Sleep more, eat better and by better I mean more often. Don't hesitate to reach for a pint of cookie dough ice cream in the middle of the night. I'm giving you a prescription for magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions until your health improves. You can pick it up on your way out at the pharmacy on the first level. Now, this is only a temporary solution. I have complete confidence that if you can regain your health and get back to where we need you to be, there should be no further complications with your pregnancy. Until you're back to full health, I want you to see your OB GYN twice a week so we can make sure that these…concerns…don't remain an issue, okay?"

Feeling as if she was being chastised yet again, Nadia dropped her gaze and nodded.

"Nadia."

His soft tone was a welcome change from the hard no-nonsense tone he had been using on her. She looked up.

"I'm not trying to attack you here. I just want you to understand the importance of your situation." He set her chart at the foot of the bed and sat down beside her. "Any stress that you're under, you put your baby under."

"I know," she murmured. She wrung her hands together, trying to focus on them instead of the hot sting of tears.

"Can I ask…was this pregnancy planned?"

She shook her head.

"Do you have any family that can-."

"No," she whispered, cutting him off.

He was silent for a moment, studying the young mother in front of him, wanting to question but knowing it was pointless. "You know, we don't often do this but," he reached into the pocket of his white hospital coat and withdrew a card. "My wife's sister works here. It's a center for women. They have counselors, groups - they have resources to help young mothers. And they're free and confidential." He held the card out to her. "Give them a try."

Nadia stared at the card which looked like nothing more than a manila colored blur in a large tanned hand. She reached out and took it, blinking several times until the name on the business card came into focus – NYC Women's Crisis Center. She looked up at the doctor. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Nadia." He stood, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Take care of yourself. I expect to be delivering that healthy baby boy of yours in about five months here."

"I didn't know it was a boy," she murmured, her voice weak and tired.

The doctor looked confused for no more than a second before a genuine smile lit his face. "Yes, you're having a boy. Congratulations Nadia."

He picked up her chart and was out the door, her breathy "thank you" never reaching him. Once he was gone, she allowed the tears to fall, tightening her arms around her stomach. She was going to have a boy. She had always wanted a boy. Something about knowing made it all so _real_. She had always known she was pregnant. But her baby was something more than a fetus growing within her now. It was a boy – a little, struggling boy. She silently vowed to protect him with everything she had in her, apologizing for her mistakes and her single-mindedness up until this point. Well, she wasn't going to be like that anymore. She was going to do exactly what the doctor had told her to do. She was going to get healthy – starting with a big t-bone steak, marinated zucchini and buttermilk biscuits.

That thought kept her company through the blood sample, through the hospital discharge, and wrapped her in a sense of warmth and certainty as she walked brusquely out of the hospital, prescription in hand, resolution to keep her son healthy stronger than it had ever been before.

The nip in the air had her jogging the last block back to her humble brownstone. She made her way up to the second floor and let herself into her cozy two bedroom apartment, letting out a content sigh once the door was closed behind her and she was once again in the one place she felt safe and welcome.

She set her prescription bag on the counter and went to the fridge, taking out a package holding a single t-bone steak that she'd bought on a whim when she'd moved to New York and setting it in the sink to defrost. Next, she reached into the cupboard above her small microwave and pulled out a package of oreo's. Armed with the calorie filled treat and a glass of water, she went to the couch, took a few cookies from the package before setting it on the simple round glass table separating the couch from the television and the wall of windows framing it, and settled back with her glass of water.

Her intentions were to stuff each oreo greedily in her mouth and wash them down with water, but once she was settled, her thoughts drifted in an entirely opposite direction. The cookies in her hand ended up beside her on the couch and she pressed her palm to the small bump where her son was nestled safely. Her son. She felt the need to tell somebody but she had nobody to tell. Had the circumstances been different, her parents would have been thrilled to have a grandson. They probably would have thrown together an impromptu party, inviting any family member within a fifty mile radius.

"_You have shamed yourself. You have shamed our family. I will not be a father to a disrespectful whore who is too self-involved to think of anyone's feelings but her own."_

"_Father…please. I didn't-."_

"_Get out."_

"_Get…father, you can't possibly mean-."_

"_I said…get…out."_

The words rang so clearly in her head that she felt as if she were back in her parent's living room, looking from her father's enraged face to where her mother sat, her expression impassive and uncaring. The only difference now was that her heart didn't feel as if it were breaking. The dull ache and sadness still lingered, but she'd grown rather used to it.

"I promise," she said, looking down at her stomach and rubbing it softly, "that I will always be there for you, no matter what. Not a minute in your life will pass where I don't love you with my entire heart."

She felt a little flutter and smiled. She imagined that he had heard her and was showing her that he understood. Turning on the television, she picked up an oreo and settled back into the couch, munching away as she thought of different names for her baby.

Several names sifted through her mind – Zack, Nathan, Ben, Michelangelo. Michelangelo…

Her chewing slowed and her brows furrowed together. Why did that name sound familiar? She shifted against the couch, settling in deeper as her mind turned the name over and over, searching for purchase amongst her muddled thoughts. After several minutes it found nothing and Nadia couldn't help but feel a small pang of disappointment. There was something important about that name…something she _should _know.

With a sigh, she laid down – cookies, water and television forgotten. She was asleep within minutes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mike. Hey, Mikey." Raphael clapped a hand on his brothers shoulder, frowning when the youngest jumped.

Michelangelo had been sitting listless on the couch for the better part of two hours, staring daggers into the coffee table. After seeing how attentive and almost painfully aggressive he was in practice this morning, followed up by the sudden morose attitude, Raphael was more than just a little concerned.

"What?" Michelangelo asked, casting a disinterested look up at his brother before returning his gaze to the coffee table once more.

Raphael moved around the couch and sank down beside him. "What's your deal, bro? You been mopin' around here all day."

Michelangelo took up the remote and started flipping aimlessly through channels. "No deal. Can't a guy watch TV?"

"Sure, if you're actually watchin' TV. You've been starin' at the coffee table. The thing ain't that interestin'."  
"Sure it is," Michelangelo muttered.

"Hey." The older terrapin nudged his younger brother lightly in the arm. "Just tell me you're alright and I'll leave ya alone."

Michelangelo looked up. "I'm alright, Raph." He said the words, but his eyes conveyed an entirely different story. The optimism that usually shown from every bit of those blue eyes was gone and there was a sadness he'd never seen his brother express before. It was unnerving to see Michelangelo any way other than an energetic ball of never-ending cheerfulness. He wouldn't press though. It wasn't Raphael's style to force information out of his brothers. Thugs, sure. But not his brothers.

"Okay, Mikey." He sat silent for a moment, feigning interest in what was on the television. He wouldn't press Michelangelo for information, but that didn't mean he was going to sit there and not try to figure out what was bothering him. Whatever it had been had happened earlier that morning when Alex had come back from the hospital to visit some woman they'd helped in an alley. "Hey, Alex talked to you when she got back from the hospital, right? She say anythin' about that chick you guys helped?"

"No," was the only dull reply he got.

"Thought she went to visit her?"

"She did."

"And she didn't say how she's doin'? If she made it through the night okay?"

"No."

"Mikey…you-."

Michelangelo suddenly stood, tossing the remote carelessly onto the couch where it bounced off and clattered loudly onto the floor. "Listen, I said I was alright. Leave it alone, would ya?"

He stalked off, leaving Raph in a state of confusion and mild irritation. "What the hell?" he muttered before standing up himself and making his way back to the room he shared with Alex. If Mikey wouldn't give him answers, he knew someone who would.

In his room, Alex was laying on the bed watching the small television she'd bought for them. She was propped up on every available pillow and munching chex mix from a bowl resting on her stomach.

"You're kiddin' right?" he muttered, leaning against the doorframe and giving her a dry look.

She glanced up from her show, her bright smile drawing him into the room and onto the bed. "Whatever, if it was a beer can you'd appreciate the idea."

Raph chuckled, grabbed a handful of chex mix, then made her move over with a little nudge before settling in beside her. "Hey, what's up with Mikey?"

"Hm?" Alex looked up at him, one brow arched in question.

"Mikey. Ever since you talked to him this morning he's been actin' like some moody teenager."

She looked startled by the news. "He has been? I…I didn't think it was that bad?"

"Didn't think what was that bad?" Taking the remote from her, he hit mute. "What happened at the hospital?"

Alex set the bowl of chex mix aside and shifted to face him, crossing her legs. "That girl we saved, Nadia? I didn't actually see her when I went there. I overheard some nurses talking about how she had been going on about me and Mikey last night, then this morning acted like nothing had happened. She thought we were just figments of her imagination and I didn't see a point in correcting her. In a better state of mind there was no guarantee that she'd react the same way she did in the alley and be so accepting. I just…I didn't know Mikey would take it so hard. He only knew her for maybe ten minutes at the most."

"Well what happened in those ten minutes? Had to be somethin'."

Alex shrugged but played the events over in her head. "She was just really nice to him. She wasn't afraid of him. She walked up to him, put her hands on either side of his face then said something in Spanish and I guess that's about the time he kind of melted all over her. I mean, she had the initial shock thing," she backtracked, remembering Nadia's nervous pacing and lilting accent tripping over words she didn't understand. "But once she got over it, it was like she was talking to a long lost friend."

"Well that would do it."

"No," Alex leaned into the pillows and started picking at the fabric. "Maybe if she'd been coherent at the time, it would have. Something seemed off about her though. She was in a lot of pain and I don't think it really occurred to her that we were…real."

"Mikey didn't see that?" Raph asked, finding it hard to believe that Michelangelo would have been that oblivious.

"Did I mention that she kind of resembles Selma Hayek?"

Raph made a sound of understanding, nodding once. Selma Hayek was high on Mikey's list of female actors he was attracted to.

"You don't think that he…fell for her that quickly, do you?" Alex asked.

"It's Mikey," Raph stated simply, as if that explained everything. In present company, it did.

Sighing, Alex brushed her hair back into a ponytail, using the band around her wrist to secure it. "Suppose I should go talk to him, huh?"

"Hey, if you can. I tried and he bit my head off. Told me to leave him alone."

Alex started to move off the bed, then stalled, turning back to face Raph who'd already taken up the remote and started changing the channel. "You know…there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What's that?" he asked, not looking away from the television.

"Well," she started nervously. "I was thinking that it might….it might be nice to have our own place." His head shot up, television forgotten and she quickly rushed on. "Not that I don't like it here. I do. The lair has been a great home to me but…"

"But?" Raph prompted when she stalled out.

With a sigh, she crawled across the bed to him, straddling his waist and sitting on his legs. "It would be nice to have a place of our own. A little privacy, room for a nursery, a place with a view where Sophia can wake up to the sight of sunshine streaming in through her window. I'm not saying it has to happen. Just…something to think about."

"Already picked a place out, didn't ya?" Raph asked with a smirk.

She gave him a disgruntled look, then sighed and nodded. "Raph, it's the coolest place. Right between here and the hospital. The apartments are spacious, reasonably priced. The one they have available is on the top floor right in the corner so we'd only have two neighbors. You could have open access to the roof at night. And the living room has huge floor to ceiling windows-."

"Yeah, cuz that's what we need. Giant windows so everyone can see a mutant turtle movin' around."

Alex rolled her eyes. "We'd get drapes, hun. Just…think about it, okay?"

He already was. Just like Alex, he loved the lair. It was the only home he'd ever known. But she had a point. They were married now with a baby on the way. It would be nice to have the privacy, to not have to worry that his brothers and father knew exactly what they were up to behind their closed bedroom door. It would be a drastic change. "I'll think about it," he agreed, reaching up and tucking a stray strand of honey colored hair behind her ear.

"That's all I ask." Leaning down, Alex brushed her lips over his. His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer and she laughed, fighting back half-heartedly. "Uh-uh. None of that. I've got to go check on your brother."

Raph released her with a sigh, grinning and giving her backside a quick squeeze before letting her slide off his lap. "Fine…go."

She shot him a grin over her shoulder as she exited the room and went to search for Mikey. Unlike his hothead brother, Michelangelo didn't have a motorcycle to disappear on when he was angry. He hardly spent much time upset so finding him was always easy. If he wasn't in the living room, he was in his bedroom. Peaking around the corner of the hallway she saw that the living room was vacant and backtracked to the far end of the hallway where Leonardo and Michelangelo's rooms were.

She paused at the door on the right and knocked once softly before pushing the door open. Michelangelo was sitting on his bed, the pencil he was holding sketching its way over a thick pad of paper resting on his knees. Klunk lay sprawled at the foot of the bed. He lifted his head and gave her the kind of disdainful look only a cat can give before closing his eyes and stretching out to take up even more of the bed than necessary.

"Hey, Mikey," she called softly, shuffling in and shutting the door behind her.

He spared her a brief glance, his pencil going still. Then it was moving again and his eyes were trained on what he was doing. It wasn't much of an invitation but she knew Michelangelo well enough to know that if he wanted her out, he would tell her so.

She went to the bed and sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder and looking over his work. Three panels took up the top portion of the sketch paper. Villains and Super Hero's faced off over the ruins of a once prosperous city, glaring at one another. She recognized the characters as the many he had been developing over the past few months, ambitiously preparing a comic book he had high hopes of getting published once he was through. There was a new addition to the group now – a young, beautiful Hispanic woman standing beside Mikey's main character, The Turtle Titan. She was holding tight to him but there was a look of determined rebelliousness written clearly on her face. Alex didn't have to ask Michelangelo who the new addition was. She knew it was Nadia.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, sliding her arm through his.

With a heartfelt sigh, Michelangelo stopped drawing and set the pad of paper aside. He rested his head against hers. "You did the right thing. You kept our family safe."

"I know. I just wish it wouldn't have come at such a high cost."

"I doubt anything could have happened between her and me anyway. She was out of it. Like you said, she thought she had just made us up. Probably better that way." He hated to say the words because they went completely against how he felt. There was an unjustness in the entire situation. Maybe he had just been lonely. For the past year and a half he'd watched Alex and Raphael interact – he'd seen the passion, the love. He'd wanted it so badly for himself. When Nadia had looked up at him, her dark eyes so full of trust and acceptance, he'd dared to hope.

"I just thought-." He uttered a short, humorless laugh and shook his head at his own romantic notions. "I just _hoped_ that it was my turn. I know I didn't know her for very long but I thought I'd gotten the chance to have what you and Raph have. The looks and the way she didn't care that I was a mutant…and the rambling in Spanish…man, that drove me totally nuts."

Alex smiled sadly, giving his arm a gentle squeeze and snuggling closer. "I noticed."

"Maybe some day, huh?"

"Some day," she agreed, intentionally leaving out the maybe.


	5. Found

A/N: Thank you to Mikell for helping me out with the ideas for this chapter and for helping me past my writers block! You rock lady!

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT and make no profit from writing this fic.

Chapter Five: Found

"So, me and Alex are gettin' a place."

Michelangelo glanced away from the television and offered his older red-masked brother a smile. "Yeah?"

Raph nodded. "Yeah. Talked to Splinter and Leo about it already. Both of them were actually pretty cool."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Tossing the remote aside, Michelangelo gave his brother his undivided attention. It was late morning, the lair was quiet and they were having one of their rare moments where they were able to just sit and talk like two guys. No interruptions, no training, no fighting over the remote. "You and Alex have been married for what…two and a half years now? You guys are gonna have a baby together. We all know you're both gonna want your privacy. And let's face it, bro – the sewers aren't really the best place to raise a kid."

Raph chuckled softly before taking a sip of his coffee. "You sound just like Alex. Been talkin' to her?"

"Yeah. She brought it up on the way to the hospital just before we ran into Na-." He trailed off. The mere mention of what he affectionately referred to as "the girl that could have been" still stung a little. It was ridiculous to be so hung up over someone he hardly knew. He knew it was. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Those big liquid brown eyes, her thick hair, the feel of its silken weight against his neck when he was carrying her, that spicy, exotic scent that haunted his dreams, every little thing he was going to have to get over and soon if he expected to live the rest of his life in some semblance of sanity – it all consumed his thoughts.

"Mikey."

Raph laid a hand on his shoulder and he looked up. He wouldn't bother hiding anything from Raph. He never could anyway. If there was one thing Raphael was extremely good at, it was knocking down whatever walls Michelangelo put up to hide what he was feeling. "When you first saw Alex…what did it feel like?"

Raphael was silent for a minute. His hand slid away from Michelangelo's shoulder and he shifted on the couch. "I dunno. At first it wasn't a whole lot of anything. She was some chick passed out on our couch. Then-."

"Then, what?" Mikey asked.

Raph smiled. "Then she glared at me and started yelling. I was pretty much lost right then and there. I mean, come on…you've seen Alex angry. How was I supposed to _not_ fall for something like that?"

Mikey laughed – a short quick sound. "Yeah. I don't blame ya."

They fell silent again. Mikey could feel Raph's eyes on him, knew he was going to say something but wasn't all together sure he should. Sighing, the younger brother rubbed a hand over his face, then leaned back against the couch. "I can't stop thinking about her."

"Alex told me that she looks like Selma Hayek."

"Better. And I know…I know it's stupid to be this hung up over someone I don't even know-."

"It's not stupid, Mikey." Raph quickly interrupted him.

Raph's hand was back on his shoulder again and Mikey turned to face him. The one brother who understood him – who would always understand him. "I envy you, bro. You've got the wife, the baby on the way, the life none of us though we'd ever see. I'm happy for you…but I want it too. And Nadia…" He drew in a shuddering breath, trying to collect his thoughts and emotions. It was difficult. He was twenty three now. Twenty three and single and not a hot babe in sight to settle down with. "It's hard to get over something you thought you could have had…even if it was just a few minutes."

"Who's tellin' ya you need to get over her?"

Michelangelo startled a little, his brows drawing together. "I…well, no one. But did I have some other option?"

"Well, there's always the chance you might see her again," Raph said, shrugging. "You're bein' pretty quick to cut someone out who hasn't had much of a chance."

"Raph, she doesn't even know I'm real, remember? She thinks I'm a hallucination," he argued, though he was starting to feel that hope clawing its way free again.

"Yeah…_thinks_ you were a hallucination. Which means she didn't _forget_ you. She just thinks she made you up."

Mikey watched Raph stand up and stretch with an incredulous look on his face. "So what? I should go looking for her? Show her that I'm not just some figment of her imagination?"

"Didn't say that," Raph said, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just tellin' ya not to write her out of your life so quickly. Don't go on some rampage tryin' to find her. Just…kind of be careful and hope that you guys'll meet up again or something."

Michelangelo couldn't help grinning at his older brother. "Awfully poetic of ya, Raph."

"Yeah, I know." A disgruntled look crossed the red-masked turtles face. "Think I'm gonna go hit somethin' now."

"Yeah," Mikey agreed, his voice mockingly sincere. "You might want to do that. If you need someone to beat the sissy outta ya-." He laughed when a pillow struck him in the face. He contemplated whipping it at Raph's retreating back, then shook his head, deciding against it. He'd been in a funk for the past few days and his hot-headed brother had pulled him right out of it. That wasn't the kind of thing that deserved a pillow whipped at his back.

Raph had been right though. No one had told him to get over Nadia. No one had _told_ him that being with her was impossible. He had just figured that with Nadia not believing he was real, it would be best to let go of her and realize that there could never be anything between them. But…why couldn't there? She'd handled the sight of him pretty well, even if she was out of it and in a lot of pain. Even with those two things playing as factors, she'd still been relatively calm for someone who'd just come face to face with a mutated turtle.

With his mind working far faster than it should have been, he leaned back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Even if just a small part of Nadia remembered him that was more than he could have hoped for. So…how to find Nadia? There was that hair salon she'd come out of the night he had first saw her. That would be a good place to start.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Five days later, Michelangelo was no closer to finding Nadia. He had swung by the hair salon a few times when out on patrol, checked the alley they had found her in a few times. He wasn't taking a pro-active approach. He was taking the approach Raph had suggested – hoping that he might see her again, but not going on a rampage in attempts to make it happen.

For the most part he was being patient. With three older brothers, two of which were prone to arguments, he was used to being a patient individual when the situation called for it. He was starting to feel the beginning edginess of frustration though. So, when Alex and Raph had needed help moving things into their new place, he had jumped on the opportunity, needing the distraction for at least a few hours.

He was heading into their apartment, glad to be out of the cold, with one of the last few boxes from Casey's truck just in time to hear Raphael starting in on Alex yet again about trying to move things.

"Alex, put it down! You don't need to be lifin' anything! April said she'd help ya out."

"I'm not an invalid Raph. I'm pregnant!" the blond spitfire shouted back. "That isn't something that should stop me from putting the freakin' dishes away!"

Michelangelo tucked his face further into his scarf to hide his grin as he moved past the hot-headed couple standing toe to toe beside the long island that separated the kitchen from the spacious living room. Leonardo and Donatello were both leaning against the back of the dark brown couch stacked high with boxes, nursing their beers and watching the couple with looks of mixed amusement and boredom.

"How many times has he told her to stop trying to help now?" the youngest asked as he set the box down, tugged off his scarf and undid the zipper of his thick winter jacket.

"Today?" Leo arched a brow. "Fifteen."

"He made it to twenty seven yesterday before she finally gave in and went to lay down," Donnie threw in. "Hopefully April and Casey get here soon. I doubt she's going to give in tonight."

Mikey nodded in agreement. "Probably not. She's been too excited about this place. Don't tell Raph but I totally walked in on her standing on a ladder and putting the drapes up this morning."

"Yeah, that's the last thing any of us will be telling him. No point in starting up another argument between those two." Donnie handed Mikey a plate stacked with two slices of pizza. "You want a beer, you're gonna have to brave the kitchen. Oh wait, it looks like…yup, they're making up! Pay up bro!" the purple masked turtle held his hand out and Leo slapped a ten dollar bill into it.

"Should have spoke up about that drapes thing a little sooner," Leo muttered.

Throwing his coat over the chair that was currently collecting all winter wear, Mikey moved towards the kitchen, giving his oldest brother a sympathetic look. "See, that's why I never take bets when it comes to these two. I'm all knowing when it comes to timing their arguments." He gave the couple in the middle of a heated make out session a brief glance as he passed them and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry guys, I'll help myself to a beer. Don't worry about being good hosts or anything."

He opted for a pop though instead of a beer and was closing the refrigerator door just as April and Casey came in. Ducking back into the fridge, he snagged a beer for Casey and a bottle of water for April then joined his brothers and Alex in welcoming them.

"This apartment is amazing!" April gushed as she allowed Casey to help her out of her coat. Green eyes sparkling, she reached down and picked up the large bag she'd set down earlier on the floor. "Now I know you said I shouldn't…but I couldn't help myself. Welcome to your new home, guys!"

Alex took the bag, trying to give April a stern look and failing. All attempts failed entirely when she looked into the bag. A startled gasp left her and a smile quickly brightened her face as she pulled free a quilted lavender, pink and cream nursery bedding set. "Oh my God, April!"

"You couldn't take your eyes off the thing and I just couldn't help myself. I ran back to the store after you went home and bought it. I know things are kind of tight right now. I hope you don't mind."

"No! Oh, no. Thank you so much!" Alex pulled the older woman into her arms and hugged her tightly. "I love it! Hey, did you want to see the nursery?" She moved away from April and took her hand, already pulling her in the direction of the room they had set aside for Sophia's nursery. "You'll have to help me set it up tomorrow. _Someone_ won't let me lift a dang thing," she added, throwing Raph a pointed look.

Raph rolled his eyes, muttering "women" under his breath before turning to his brothers and long time friend. "You guys wanna help me get some of this stuff unpacked?"

"Well, I suppose since you bought beer _and_ pizza, we have to, huh?" Mikey asked, moving to the living room where several boxes awaited to be ripped into.

"That is the customary thing to do when helping one move," Donnie said.

"Well what comes after that?"

Raph clapped a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder, grinned and pointed to the table already set up in the recessed alcove off the kitchen. "Then, Mikey…we play poker and I take back that ten bucks Leo had to fork over to Don for makin' a dumb bet on how long it would take me and Alex to quit fightin'."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Aaaand, done!" Nadia moved away from the swivel chair her current client sat in, undoing the smock and brushing lingering hairs from the older woman's shoulders. "What do you think?"

Mrs. Silverson, one of her regulars and prestigious in the upper circles of Manhattan society, leaned forward in her chair, her sharp eyes narrowing as her perfectly manicured nails fluffed her hair, testing the cut and move of the style. "What can I say, Nadia dear? You've got the golden touch. This is why I refuse to go anywhere else. Those fancy places that serve up the Champaign just aren't worth it when compared to the satisfaction of the perfect haircut."

"I did offer you tea," Nadia pointed out with a wry grin as she started to stash away her tools of the trade.

Mrs. Silverson waved her off. "Besides the point. A lovely job, as always." Standing, Mrs. Silverson bussed Nadia's cheek with a quick kiss. "You have a wonderful evening my dear. Go home, take a nice long bath." She patted her cheek lightly, her gaze shrewd, yet concerned at the same time. "And get some rest, darling. You're starting to get circles under those beautiful eyes again."

Nadia took refuge in the older woman's kind words, feeling a special kinship towards her. "I will, Mrs. Silverson. Thank you."

After studying her for a few more moments, testing the truth of her words no doubt, Mrs. Silverson nodded once, patted her cheek again and was gone, breezing out with a natural authority.

Nadia set to cleaning up her area – sweeping, dumping unused color into the waste basket. She was just reaching to turn her flat iron off when she heard the over head doorbell to the salon ring lightly, announcing another customer.

Anna, the perky young woman who ran the front desk and took care of fielding phone calls for appointments, cancellations and the like, came back into the working area of the salon, several crisp bills clasped in her hand. Her short, spiked hair was dark purple this week as opposed to the mess of green and fuchsia it had been the previous week.

"Hey Nadia, here's your tips for the night."

Nadia graciously accepted the money, folding it and tucking it away in her pocket without looking at it. She would count it later. She knew it was a substantial amount. Mrs. Silverson was a woman twice widowed to two very rich men and spent her money as such. The tips were always extremely decent when she would stop in for a cut, color or perm. "Do we have another customer?"

"Yeah, but Rebecca's got her."

"Rebecca's finishing up with a cut. I don't have any other appointments and my curler and flat iron are still on. I could-."

"Nadia, honey. Rebecca's got this one. Go home. Get some rest." She gave her the same look Mrs. Silverson had given her, minus the shrewdness. "You've been trying to make up for the time you lost. I get that. But you're overworking yourself honey. No one here is upset with you for taking a week off. And no one is going to be upset with you for going home _when I told you to._"

With a sigh, Nadia gave in. "Okay. Thanks Anna."

"Hey, no problem sweetie. You have a great night."

Nadia returned the sentiment softly then turned off her irons. After checking over her area once more to make sure she wasn't missing anything, she caught Rebecca's gaze in the mirror she was working in front of as she passed her, offering her a friendly nod so as not to interrupt her conversation with her client, then grabbed her purse, coat and stocking cap from the back room. She checked the schedule as she pulled on her coat and gloves, noting that she didn't work for the next two days and set out into the cold New York night, eager to return home. That bath Mrs. Silverson had mentioned earlier had been sounding better and better with each passing minute. By the time she reached her apartment, she was convinced she could smell the soothing aroma of her bath salt and hurried up the stairs.

Once to the top floor, she started down the hallway, digging through her purse for her keys. A light feminine voice drew her attention and she looked up, smiling at the young pregnant woman coming out of the door across form her apartment. _Must be my new neighbor,_ she thought, feeling a slight pang of regret. She should probably say hi, do the neighborly thing regardless of how badly she wanted to sink into the warm confines of her bath water and let her stress of her life slip away, albeit briefly.

"No, it's okay. You guys keep playing. I think I can manage a flight of stairs one more time tonight," the young woman called to whoever was still in her apartment.

As Nadia neared, the woman turned, a bright smile already on her face. It vanished when she saw Nadia and her steps faltered.

The reaction caught Nadia completely off guard. The woman didn't even know her and she suddenly looked like she wanted to be as far away from her as possible. Her brows drew in a frown and she slowed her steps. Turning around and going back to work was starting to look like a better idea than facing her new neighbor right now.

Squaring her shoulders, Nadia moved forward. She wasn't going to let an unfriendly face stop her from enjoying the solitude of her own home. She lowered her gaze, sorting through her keys until she found the one for her door, then looked up to at least offer the woman a quite hello. With the woman only a foot away, her face suddenly became painfully familiar. Nadia gasped and dropped her keys, staggering back against the wall.

"A…Alex?" she squeaked, feeling hysteria well up inside of her.

"Listen…Nadia. I-."

"You!" Nadia pointed a finger at her, the appendage trembling violently. "You're…you're real? I thought I made you up!"

"Nadia, please. If you'll just listen," Alex attempted again, glancing nervously down the hallway.

"Oh, Dios mío no puedo creer que estás realmente real. Esto es una locura. ¿Cómo puede esto ser posible, incluso?" (Oh my God I can't believe you're actually real. This is insane. How can this even be possible).

"There she goes with the Spanish again," Alex muttered.

Nadia's eyes went impossibly wide and the color suddenly drained form her face. "That means…that means the turtle. He's…he's real?"

Cursing softly, Alex grabbed Nadia's hand and pulled her into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

Nadia immediately rounded on her. "Who are you? Why did you help me? Who _was he?!"_

"Okay, you need to calm down. Please, if you'll just listen to me. I can explain everything."

Nadia laughed maniacally, throwing her hands up in the air. "Sure, I'll listen. Of course I'll listen! This is wonderful! I'm so glad that I've gone completely insane again! At least this time I'm not in the God awful pain I was last time. That's a good thing, right? Right?!"

"Nadi?"

The new voice added to their conversation startled Nadia into silence. It was soft and male…and familiar. And the nickname. _He'd_ called her that.

She turned slowly, her body already numb from the shock of seeing Alex. She wasn't at all sure it could take much more. Her eyes immediately met innocent, vibrant blue ones. Those eyes belonged to a green face – the face of a turtle. A giant turtle who had once told her that his name was Michelangelo.

Nadia's heart tripped violently. She swallowed once, opened her mouth, and started screaming.


	6. Trust

A/N: Sorry this took so long guys! Drea's got a new job so life with finding new daycare, getting settled into said new job and all the fun stuff with the winter weather has been hectic to say the least. Hope it was worth the wait!! Thanks to Mikell, my awesome beta reader. You're the best, even when you unleash the full editor on me…..that…sounded dirty.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic. Nadia and Alex are both OC's of mine however should anyone get a wild hair and want to do something with them…someone besides Raph and Mikey. : )

**Chapter Six: Trust**

Screaming was something Michelangelo was used to. He'd heard enough of it from every other damsel in distress out there that they'd come across and saved when they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it wasn't the fact that Nadia was screaming that caused him to flinch. It was the pitch and volume of the offensive noise that caused him to jump back several feet and shrink away from the petite woman as if she'd struck him.

He wasn't the only one who did so. Leonardo, Donatello, Casey and Raphael who had been deep in their poker game all dropped their cards and covered their ears, staring at Nadia in stunned horror. Even April and Alex reacted, jerking away from the young woman.

Recovering quickly, Mikey moved forward and took Nadia's shoulders gently in his hands. It was the wrong move to make. His heart clenched and his throat tightened with emotion when she jerked away from him, her screams tapering off to a strangled whimper. He dropped his hands quickly to the side and ducked his head, but not before he caught Alex's look of pity as she stepped up to Nadia and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Nadia, please…calm down," Alex beseeched. "If you'll just let me explain-Nadia?"

The note of panic in her voice caused Mikey to jerk his head back up. He cursed softly and lunged forward in time to catch Nadia as she pitched forward, crying in pain and clutching her stomach.

"What happened?" he yelped, his fearful gaze meeting Alex's. His sister-in-law shook her head, her mouth working to make sounds that wouldn't come out. There was movement all around them – his brothers abandoning their game to rush toward them, April quickly skirting around the kitchen counter and moving to stand next to Alex.

"What's wrong with her?" Donatello asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, dude!" Mikey moved Nadia far enough away from him so that he could hunker lower and look into her face. He brushed her thick hair back. Those dark pools of liquid brown, filled with agony, met his and his breath caught. She had looked at him like that before. She started rambling in a mix of Spanish and English, one hand clutching his arm as the other splayed over her stomach. "The baby! I think something's wrong with the baby!" he said.

"Is that the girl you guys found in the alley?" Raph asked, hovering near Alex, his gaze moving between her and the newcomer.

Alex nodded. Her face had gone frighteningly pale. "And this is exactly how we found her." She stepped forward, moving around Nadia and going to her knees next to Mikey. "Nadia…you need to tell us what's happening. You need to tell us how to help you."

Nadia's eyes shifted wildly back and forth between Alex and Michelangelo. She was obviously arguing with herself, probably once again doubting her sanity. Pain sluiced through her once more and she closed her eyes against it, gasping. "Medi-cation….bathroom," she managed through clenched teeth.

"Find it," Mikey instructed.

Alex went to her feet and was out the door in a matter of seconds.

Closing out what was going on around him, Mikey focused on one thing – calming Nadia. She was still clinging to him and he considered that a good sign. At least she wasn't screaming and running away from him. Her eyes were wide and apprehensive, but there was a veiled lucidity there that told him her mind and judgment were not quite clouded by pain as they had been in the alley. Not yet, anyway.

"Nadi…babe, you have to do me a favor here, okay?" Her eyes locked on his and he silently congratulated himself. She was still breathing heavily, biting on her bottom lip to keep her screams at bay, he was sure. "I need you to calm down. You're freakin' out and I'm not all that in the know with the whole baby thing, but I'm pretty sure that's not good for them."

He brushed his fingers into her thick hair, cupping his hand around the back of her head. Again he congratulated himself. She didn't pull away. Instead she leaned into him, albeit reluctantly. "I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered. "None of us are."

She tensed and so did he, reacting to the sudden stiffness and preparing himself to pull away from her. He didn't want to. He wanted to be there for her, to hold her, to ease the pain she was going through. "I would never hurt you, Nadi."

She watched him a moment longer, then nodded – a tiny movement that he would have missed had he not been watching her so closely.

"Tortuga imaginaria….right?" he murmured with a gentle smile.

Recognition flashed in her eyes. He knew right away he'd won another battle. She trusted him. And then she laughed. It was so unexpected that for a moment, Mikey was completely dumbstruck. He couldn't help staring at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"You completely slaughtered that," she muttered, her voice still tight with pain.

"Yeah, well…my main language is reptile babe. Be lucky I speak English as well as I do."

That drew another chuckle which was immediately cut short when Nadia grasped his arms and leaned forward slightly, her arm tightening protectively against her swelling stomach and a hiss of pain forcing its way through her clenched teeth.

"Okay, we're gonna play this thing just like we did in the alley," Mikey coached. "Remember how I told you to breathe? Do that now…just concentrate on breathing. The pain's not gonna be that bad if you can just take your focus off of it."

Nadia nodded. She drew in one shaky breath, then another. "Can't…I can't…"

"You can Nadia." A tap on his shoulder had him looking up. Alex stood beside them, holding a bottle of pills and a glass of water out to him.

"They were the only ones I could find," she offered, her worried gaze flitting briefly to Nadia.

Mikey nodded. "Thanks sis." He set the glass of water on the floor between himself and Nadia, then held the bottle up for her to see. "These the one's you need?"

"Yes," she whispered. She watched, waiting as patiently as she could as Mikey opened the bottle and shook a pill into his palm. She was quick to pop it in her mouth and wash it down with water. With her eyes closed, she leaned forward. She ignored the tiny voice in her head telling her not to and rested her head against Michelangelo's shoulder.

"Deep breaths babe," he murmured. His hands drew slow paths up and down her back, stopping every so often to massage the tension from her shoulders. When Nadia was finally at ease and Michelangelo could no longer feel any tension, he took it as a good sign to start conversation. "So, you live across the hall, huh?"

She tensed slightly when he spoke and Mikey's heart sank ever-so-slightly with the knowledge that he'd caused that reaction. His heart ached until she let out a quiet sigh and relaxed into him again.

"Si. I mean…yes," she murmured, then braved her own question. "Do you…live here?"

With a smile and a shake of his head, Mikey replied, "No. We don't live here. Well, Raph and Alex do. They just moved in."

Nadia lifted her head, her gaze falling on Alex who stood leaning heavily against another turtle. This one was bigger, his muscles, size and gaze much more intimidating. He was a darker shade of green and had sharp amber eyes that probably didn't miss much. Beside him Alex was smiling kindly, her hand resting over the three fingered one on the swell of her stomach.

"You remember Alex, right? That's her husband and my big bro, Raph." Mikey dropped his voice to an intentionally loud whisper. "Personally, I don't think they should let big ugly pets stay in apartment buildings but Alex kind of has a soft spot for him-."

When Raph's eyes narrowed in threat, the most beautiful sound filled the room. It was Nadia laughing, quietly at first and then a little louder when Mikey joined her. "I guess he's more of a guard dog than a-." Mikey was cut off by a pretzel to the head. "Dude! Watch out. I'm holding precious cargo here-."

Nadia's infectious laughter died down to a soft chuckle which was quickly replaced with a pained gasp.

"Babe, you alright?" Mikey asked, his arm tightening around her.

"Yes….just no more laughing."

Smiling, Mikey helped her up, supporting most of her weight. He looked up, caught the surprised looks of his three older brothers and quickly turned away, feeling his cheeks burning slightly. With a little gentle coaxing, he led her over to the couch and helped her sit down on the small amount of space not taken up by boxes. The others followed at a safe distance. Once Nadia was composed and no longer in pain, there would be introductions. He was grateful that for now his brothers were keeping their distance.

He knelt down in front of her, resting a hand on her knee and murmuring gentle instructions – reminding her to breathe, to stay calm. Minutes ticked by and then her eyelids swept shut and she released a long, shuddering sigh.

"Done?" he asked softly.

She nodded, her shoulders dropping. "I think so. I _hope_ so." She took an experimental breath and straightened, relieved when her entire body didn't object to the movement. The feeling was cut short when she lifted her gaze to the three humans and three giant turtles standing directly behind Michelangelo. She immediately shrank back, trying to hide her fear and failing.

Michelangelo glanced over his shoulder at his brother and rolled his eyes. "Leo…Raph. Quit glaring and come say hi. You too, Donnie." He turned back to Nadia, shaking his head. "Sorry babe, they're not exactly social animals."

She offered him a fleeting smile of understanding then swallowed her fear as the brother in purple approached and Michelangelo moved aside. She was fine meeting Donatello who seemed very kind. She was even fine meeting Raphael, as intimidating a figure as he was. With Alex standing beside him, who was a half a foot shorter than him and very pregnant made him look much more amicable. When Leonardo approached her, his eyes hard and calculating, she stalled in lifting her hand and drew it back, placing it in her lap. Without anyone having to tell her, she knew he was the oldest of the four. The oldest and most certainly the leader. He had an air about him that screamed Alpha male.

"You're afraid of me," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Nadia swallowed hard and nodded.

"Why?"

"You don't trust me," she stated evenly.

Something flickered in his eyes, something unreadable, and he knelt before her so that he was looking up at her instead of down. It made her feel less hunted – as if he were more on her level now instead of towering over her and _trying_ to make her feel anxious. "Nadia, as Michelangelo said, we're not going to hurt you. But you're right. I don't trust you. I don't know you well enough to trust you. For all I know you could walk out of here and tell anyone about us. You could put our family in danger, a family I have protected all my life. I can't let that happen."

"I wouldn't." She sat up a little straighter, squaring her shoulders. She wanted to feel insulted that he would assume such a horrible thing about her. Instead, she felt the need to reassure him in no uncertain terms that their secret was safe with her.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Even if I wanted to, which I don't, I couldn't. My father," her voice caught slightly on the word. "My father is the Chief of Police in Costa Mesa, California-."

"That's not helping."

Nadia's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "Let me finish. My father is the Chief of Police in Costa Mesa, California. He wants nothing to do with me and I want nothing to do with him. I wouldn't do anything to draw his attention. He doesn't know where I am, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"You don't want anything to do with your dad?"

The disbelief in Michelangelo's voice drew her attention. She flinched at the look of pity in his eyes. She wanted no part of that. She'd been alone for too long, dealing with the pain of rejection and betrayal. She had hardened herself against it. "Why would I? My father was very quick to turn his back on me when I told him I was pregnant. I'll admit I wasn't very smart about the entire situation." She ducked her head, feeling the heat of mortification infuse her cheeks and wanting to hide it. "But it was his decision to disown me, not mine."

Their silence made her squirm with discomfort. She fought the need to run for the door and into the safety of her own apartment. A hand alighted upon hers where it rested on her knee and she looked up, startled to see Leonardo kneeling in front of her, not Michelangelo.

"I'm sorry. Truly, Nadia…I am."

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone," she vowed softly, her gaze meeting his steadily.

He watched her for a moment, his eyes searching hers. He was reading her, trying to find a flaw in her words, a trace of pretense. She tensed under his scrutiny but did not move away from him.

"I believe you. But-."

Nadia's heart sank. "But?"

There was a moment of silence, then Leo's mouth suddenly quirked up in a wry grin. "Let me finish."

The way he reacted to her interruption, the pure mundane quality of the conversational tone, it washed over her – relaxing her muscles, easing her anxiety. She couldn't help giving him a small smile in return.

"But, I need you to promise me that our secret is safe with you and you will do nothing…_nothing_ to put our family in danger."

"I promise," Nadia agreed with a nod. "Not a word to anyone."

"Alright." Leo stood, then looked over at Michelangelo. "Why don't you go ahead and give her the history, Mikey."

"Totally!!" The youngest of the four perched on the couch arm beside her. Exuberance poured off of him in waves. "You want the full version or the abridged?"

"Um…" Nadia watched his brothers disperse back to their poker game, then turned to look at Alex and April, silently asking for help.

Still wearing her friendly smile, Alex rested her hand on Michelangelo's shoulder and looked down at Nadia. "You want the full version but we'll help out with that. Mikey here kind of tends to stray off in a million different directions. You hungry?"

Nadia thought about it for a minute. She hadn't had supper yet and her lunch had consisted of a bowl of clam chowder which she'd been re-introduced to later on in the day when morning sickness had chosen to kick in unexpectedly. The thought of food now quickly had her stomach rumbling.

"Um, that would be a yes," she muttered, rubbing her stomach and giving the other woman a sheepish look.

Alex chuckled. "Okay. Let me go grab some pizza and something to drink. Mikey, help April clear off the couch and chair?"

"On it babe," the orange masked turtle said with a quick thumbs up.

Within a few minutes, boxes were cleared from the couch and chair. Alex returned to the living room, casting an amused glace towards the poker game when a loud chorus of groans erupted, almost drowning out Casey's triumphant yelp. "They're going to be no help to us."

"Eh, we don't need em," Michelangelo said, settling down beside Nadia and snagging a piece of pizza from the box Alex had lain down on the table. "They'd just mess up the story anyway."

"Right," April muttered dryly. "_They're_ the ones messing it up."

Once Nadia had a plate layered with a few slices of pizza and her hand curled around a glass of milk, Michelangelo started in with the story of their origins. Had she not been so hungry, she may have forgone eating all together until he was finished with the amazing story that was his and his brothers' beginning.

Alex took over when it came to her entrance into their lives, telling the story of a young woman alone in the world and cursed to fulfill a deadly prophecy. She had been saved by the four young ninja's, brought into their home and kept safe until a misunderstanding between her and Raphael had led to her leaving the lair. Eventually the four had gone after her and had been ambushed by Foot Soldiers. Only Michelangelo had escaped and had convinced Alex that she needed to trust them and they needed to save what Alex affectionately called "their family" though at the time they hadn't necessarily been family. It was only after the three older brothers were saved and Alex's curse was finally broken that she and Raphael had made their relationship official by getting married. Shortly after, Alex was pregnant.

"So," Michelangelo said, smiling brightly. "That's our story. Whadaya think?"

"I think," Nadia murmured after a while, "that I might benefit from checking myself back into the hospital."

"Was that-." Michelangelo watched her closely, feeling his tentative grasp on his hope starting to slip. "Was that a joke?"

Nadia looked up at him and grinned. "Yeah. It was a joke. That was just….that was a lot to take in a half an hour."

He laughed. "Yeah, the story keeps getting longer and longer every time we tell it. We used to be able to get it all out in like…ten minutes. Then April and Alex had to come along and demolish our efficiency."

"Oh whatever," April muttered, whacking him with a throw pillow.

"Seriously…what is with people and throwing crap at me lately…"

Nadia chuckled softly, then turned her attention to Alex. "So…you're really pregnant with…um-."

"With Raph's baby?" Alex supplied kindly. "Yeah. We were kind of amazed that it happened too. It was the last thing we were expecting. We're both thrilled though."

"Hey, more than you two are thrilled here, babe. Don't forget the uncles." Michelangelo leaned close to Nadia, lowering his voice. "I'm gonna be the cool one."

"Yes, yes, Mikey. We _all_ know you're going to be the cool one," Alex said with a roll of her eyes. "All of her uncles are equally cool. No favorites, remember?"

"You know it's a she?" Nadia asked.

"Yup. Our little Sophia Marissa Hamato, due March fifth. Do you know what you're having?"

Nadia nodded once, unconsciously lifting her hand and placing it over her small baby bump. "Yeah. It's a boy. I…I haven't thought of a name yet."

"You know a good name?" Michelangelo said, leaning back against the couch and folding his hands behind his head. "Michelangelo. Solid, has the history behind it, easily abbreviated. You can't get much better than that."

"Hmm, yes…I'll keep that in mind," Nadia murmured, catching Alex's grin and hiding her own with her half empty glass.

The four talked for a while longer, mostly about Nadia. She could tell the two women were feeling her out. There was no malicious intent, just two women who were overly protective about their particular group of friends and who wanted to ensure their safety. Nadia admired them for it. They were dedicated to protecting those they loved, no matter how different they were. It was refreshing to know that there were people like that in the world.

Michelangelo on the other hand…he just seemed genuinely interested in her. His baby blues never wavered from her unless he was talking to Alex or April. It was a strange sensation – having someone's attention so focused on her, as if she were the only person in the room, having someone actually _hear_ her speak. No one had ever seemed so genuinely engrossed in what she had to say. What Michelangelo was doing…it was nice.

"Hey babe," Casey interrupted them after a while, leaning over the couch. His hands landed on April's shoulders and started to rub them gently. "You ready to get going?"

April looked up at him, confusion furrowing her brow. "Get going? What time is it?"

"Bout 11:15."

"That late already?" she stood up, stretching the kinks from her back. "Yeah. We probably should go. Let Alex get some rest. Well, Nadia. It was really great meeting you. Alex, nursery shopping tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Alex yawned hugely. "Nadia, you want to come with us?"

"I…you…you want me to come with you?" she asked uncertainly. She wasn't used to people being so kind to her. Especially not people she had just met.

"Sure. It would be fun. And if you want to, you can pick up some stuff for yourself too."

"Better say yes," Raphael said, coming around the side of the couch and leaning against the back of the chair Alex was sitting in. "Alex doesn't know how to take no for an answer. And if ya try to tell her no, she'll argue with ya until you say yes."

"Oh, you hush," Alex muttered, elbowing Raph in the thigh. The smile she gave him was full of love though and for a brief moment, it made Nadia uncomfortable. She didn't know love like this. Her brief foray into the concept of it had not been filled with tender moments and sentiment. Her parents had never been prone to public displays of affection. To watch Alex and Raph interact was so much different from anything she had ever seen. She suddenly wanted to get out of the apartment and away from this foreign emotion that meant so little to her.

"If you don't mind me coming with, that would be nice." She stood, offering Alex and April a timid smile "I should probably get going. Thank you for the pizza and for…well, everything." Her gaze sought out Leonardo. "And again, I promise that I won't tell anyone about you and your brothers."

"Hold on babe, I'll walk ya out," Michelangelo said, nearly jumping off the couch in his haste and offering her his arm. She shyly slid hers into it and allowed him to lead her out of the apartment. At her door, she realized that she no longer had her keys and turned to go back to Alex's to get them, running into Michelangelo's chest.

"My keys….I dropped-."

"Right here, Nadi." He lifted his hand, displaying the ring of keys dangling between his thick fingers.

"Oh." She suddenly noticed how close they were and how she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Her pulse tripped, her mind worked furiously to come up with something intelligible to say. Just when she thought she had something, though that she could remove herself tactfully from the situation, Michelangelo leaned forward. Her eyes went wide and she felt a sudden excitement race through her. The excitement vanished as quickly as it had come though when she heard the sound of her keys grating in the lock.

"There ya go," Michelangelo murmured softly, pushing the door open for her.

"Thank you." She turned away from him, her entire body feeling strangely numb. The dark confines of her apartment weren't nearly as comforting as she thought they would be. There was no one waiting for her here. She was alone.

"Nice place," Michelangelo said from behind her, closing the door after letting himself in.

Nadia placed her keys on the kitchen counter. "Thanks. Did you…can I get you something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good. I can just go steal somethin' from Alex and Raph if I'm thirsty." He looked around her apartment for a while, hands stuffed in the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt, eyes moving over the couch, the simple television, the lone bookshelf stacked with various books and her small collection of cheap knick-knacks art work that gave her apartment a homey feel. "I gotta say, Nadi. I'm really, really glad you live here. I was driving myself crazy trying to find you and then you end up right here. Talk about simplifying the situation."

Nadia frowned as she removed her coat and scarf and hung them over the back of one of the barstool chairs pulled up to the counter. "You were…looking for me?" she asked, feeling that rush of excitement again, though this time it was considerably less overwhelming.

He gave her a shy smile. "Yeah. I was looking for you." He closed the distance between them, boldly reaching out and taking her hand. "I've been thinking about you ever since the day we left you at the hospital. I wanted to know how you were, if you were okay. I wanted…I wanted to know you better, Nadia."

"You don't want to know me," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Now, why would you say something like that?"

She shook her head, closing her eyes against the sudden rush of tears. "You and your family are so nice. You've been so kind to me and…and I'm not worth all of that."

Michelangelo's brows furrowed. She wasn't worth all of that? That didn't make any sense. "What do you mean?"

"I'm pregnant Michelangelo." She looked up, her dark eyes glassy. "I slept with a friend of my father's…a married friend of my father's. I'm pregnant with his child. You don't want to know the kind of woman who would willingly sleep with a married man and end up disowned by her family for it."

"See, now that's where you're wrong." He took a thick strand of her hair between his fingers, rubbing it gently, loving the smooth-as-silk feel and the unique scent of her. "I want to know everything there is to know about you. The good…the bad. And when I know it all, I'm going to show you just how much worth you have."

"Why?" she asked, unable to stop the pitiable question from slipping from her lips.

His grin turned teasing and lop-sided. "Because I think you're hot."

The bluntness of his statement and the quirky tone he delivered it in startled a laugh out of her. "You're going to regret it," she muttered, brushing at the one tear that had managed to escape.

"Maybe." His grin deepened. "But I doubt it. Get some rest, Nadi. You're gonna have your hands full with those two tomorrow." He dropped the strand of hair and curled his hand around the nape of her neck, then dropped a soft, unexpected kiss on her forehead. "I'll be seein' ya."

Nadia stopped herself from leaning into him, from giving into the temptation of comfort. He made it all sound so wonderful – getting to know her, wanting to show her that what she thought of herself wasn't true. But she was wary. Instead, she smiled up at him and nodded. "Okay. Adios torguga."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm gonna guess that means 'goodbye turtle'. Sounds a lot prettier in Spanish." He moved away from her, releasing her at the same time. "See ya."

"Bye," she whispered, watching him go. With his absence came the ache of loneliness. She sighed softly, went to the door to lock it, then leaned against the solid length of wood. Life had just gotten much more complicated.


	7. The Truth

**A/N:** HUGE thanks to Mikell, my lovely beta for going over this thing and going all editor on me. I appreciate it woman! And thanks to Diva Danni for the borderline harassment on getting this posted. HERE YA GO!! Ya happy now?! Lol. Polaris, you're a hoot babe! Thanks for playing catch up and having fun in the process!

Mahalove, Raphsgirl, Mel, Zabbi, Inudemon – thanks for your support and reviews guys! Ya'll keep me going! And I'm sorry this took so long. Life came a'callin' and I was helpless to do anything but listen and do as I was told. Silly life, taking me away from my writing. You guys are free to yell and shake your fists at it if you would like. I tried…it doesn't listen. Lol. On to the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic. Alex and Nadia are my OC's, however. I own them proudly!

**Chapter Seven: The Truth**

Nadia was leaning against the counter of her kitchen the next morning, her hands curled around a steaming cup of coffee liberally doused with creamer. After her hectic night, her appetite was up and roaring far before she was ready to get up for the day. It had its demands though and Nadia had to acknowledge and fulfill them. Her plans to appease it consisted of cinnamon rolls, grapes and orange wedges. Her guilt over the thought of possibly finishing off everything all by herself had lasted until she had put the rolls into the oven. She was eating for two, might as well enjoy it.

Outside the sun was just starting to cast its dusty light over the cityscape. It glinted brightly off of the small drifts of snow that had built up in the windowsills over the last week. Nadia had left the blinds wide open. She was far too used to the wide spread of land her parents home had rested on in California. Her heart wanted warm, open areas. It settled for closed in apartment with gaping windows, begrudgingly allowing that spring and summer would come soon.

She impatiently waited for the stove to "ding", flipping through a comic book from her meager collection when a knock sounded at the door. Pulling her worn robe closed, she tightened the belt and shuffled around the counter and to the door, looking through the peep-hole. Alex stood in the hallway, her blond hair pulled up in a messy ponytail and a coffee cup in her hand. Still in her pajamas – green NYU pants and a gray hooded sweatshirt – she was casting nervous glances over her shoulder. Undoing the chain and dead-bolt, Nadia opened the door.

"Hey Alex."

"Morning!" the blond greeted with a bright smile, ducking into Nadia's apartment and closing the door. "Sorry to bother you. Sophie's had me up since six a.m. and I'm in desperate need of coffee. You wouldn't happen to…"

Nadia grinned and pointed to the coffee maker beside the sink in her kitchen.

"You're an angel. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, go ahead. Help yourself."

"Thanks. I would have made my own but I have no idea where the coffee maker is and besides that, if Raph catches me drinking coffee he'll have a conniption."  
A perplexed look crossed Nadia's face as she followed Alex into the kitchen. Could someone like Raph actually have a conniption? Maybe that was a question best left unanswered.

"So, you go to college?" she asked conversationally, going into the fridge for a few different creamers and setting them on the counter within Alex's reach.

"Yup. Going for a degree in the Performing Arts. I'll be taking a semester off though once Sophia's born to do the stay-at-home mom thing for a bit. What about you?" Alex glanced up at Nadia as she poured steaming coffee into her mug.

"Oh, no college. I just moved here a few months ago. I actually work as a hair dresser down at Viviann's."

Alex propped her hip against the counter. "I may have to take advantage of that sometime," she said before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well, I'll give you a deal if you tip me big," Nadia said with a quick grin.

Alex laughed. "I knew I liked you."

Nadia ducked her head to hide the light blush that tinged her cheeks. Alex was so nice to her. No one had ever been so nice to her before. Well…no one besides Michelangelo. It struck her suddenly that through everything that had happened over the past week and a half, Nadia had only seen Alex in her home and the day that she'd come to her aid in the alley outside of their apartment. "Alex?" she asked softly, looking up.

The blond arched a brow in question, her coffee cup still poised at her lips as she blew on the contents to cool it.

"I…um…I never got a chance to thank you for what you and Michelangelo did for me. You know…when-."

"Nadia, honey. You don't need to-."

"No," she interrupted, her gaze telling Alex so much more about the suffering Nadia was going through than she what she had guessed at. "I have to. I've…I've been alone for a long time. And I haven't met very many kind people here in New York. You and Michelangelo…you didn't have to help me, but you did."

Her hand shot out, grasping Alex's and Alex swallowed hard against the lump of emotion rising in her throat.

"You saved my baby's life, Alex."

Silence fell. The two stared at each other for a long time – Nadia pleading for understanding, Alex seeing far too much of the pain that had been Nadia's only companion. Alex's hand tightened around Nadia's. "Come here."

With a pitiable cry, Nadia went into Alex's arms. Alex blinked against the sudden sting of tears, holding the young Hispanic woman as she sobbed. She ran her hands over the mass of dark curls in long, soothing motions. One day…one day she would know Nadia's entire story. For now it was just enough to know her and to know that she and her family could be there for her now so that she would no longer be facing the harsh cruelty of the world alone.

Pulling back, Alex gripped Nadia's chin gently in her hand. "Hm…you look…alright."

A tiny smile tugged at Nadia's full lips. "I will be."

"Yes, you will be." Alex chose to tactfully switch the subject. The deep conversations could wait until they were better acquainted and Nadia felt more comfortable with them. "Smells delicious."

"Oh." Nadia dropped her arms and scrubbed at the tears on her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe. "I was just making cinnamon rolls. They should be done in a few minutes if you'd like to stay and have one."

"You bet," Alex said with an encouraging smile.

"Okay. Well, you can…um…have a seat at the table if you want." Nadia motioned to the small round table on the other side of the counter.

"Thanks." Alex shuffled to the table with her coffee and sank down into a chair with an exaggerated groan. She dropped one hand to the swell of her stomach and dropped her head back, sighing. "Oh, dear God, I'm ready to be done with this."

Nadia pulled a pot holder from a drawer, chuckling at the other woman. "No horror stories, please. I'm already scared out of my mind to have this little guy." The oven timer went off and she pulled the cinnamon rolls from it, placing them on the range to cool. "How long have you and Raphael been together?"

"A little over a year now."

Taking two plates from the cupboard, Nadia laid a cinnamon roll on each, then brought them and her tepid coffee to the table, setting one down in front of Alex and taking a seat across from her. "How did…um, how did you guys meet, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ooh, where to start." Alex rested an elbow on the table and propped her chin in her open hand, smiling fondly. "I met him the night he saved me."

"You mentioned that last night," Nadia said, leaning forward and forgetting all about her roll.

"Yeah. FYI, saving girls is kind of their thing, if you haven't noticed," Alex muttered with a wry grin.

Nadia laughed. "I did. What exactly…happened? I have a feeling that it was much more detailed than what you told me last night."

"Well, I was seeing this guy…Danny. He turned out to be nothing more than some prophecy seeking, power hungry jerk, just like a majority of the men I had the misfortune of ending up with. He went further than them though. He drugged me one night and took me to the Foot's headquarters. He chained me to a fence and was hell bent on making me bring his master, Shredder, back to life. Raph and his brothers showed up before he could do anything though. He jimmied the locks on my chains, talked me through escaping, then they all brought be back to their home."

"Did you guys…fall in love right away?" Nadia asked, her eyes wide and intrigued. She hadn't heard this part of Alex's story. She understood from last night that she had once been a powerful Prophecy, used to fulfill the wishes of men looking for vengeance. But she'd only been given the basics of the story.

Alex stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"What?" Nadia blushed furiously, sinking back into her chair. "What's so funny?"

"I'm…I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh," Alex gasped, trying to catch her breath. Once she was composed she continued. "No, Raph and I didn't fall in love right away. In fact, we ended up spending a lot of our time over the first few weeks at each other's throats. The attraction was there, don't get me wrong. But we were both very stubborn. There was a lot of misunderstanding and ultimately it was a physical fight between us gone very wrong that broke down the final barrier." Her eyes took on a far off look as if she were back, reliving the moments in which she and Raphael had stopped fighting fate. "It wasn't easy. Not at first. We had…a few days where it felt like nothing could go wrong. Then…" Alex paused to swallow hard, her eyes shifting to stare into her coffee cup. "Then Danny found them. He took Raph. He took Leo and Donny too – left Mikey behind, hurt and bleeding. We went after them and-."

"Alex."

The blond looked up, surprised to see Nadia's pitying gaze on her.

"You don't have to say anything. Really, if you can't-."

Smiling sadly, Alex shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's a lot easier to deal with now than it used to be. I…the Prophecy…she ended up taking a lot of lives that night. When it was done and over with, when I was finally free of my curse, Raph was always there. He held me every night I woke up screaming, he made me talk about it. He loved me with this…this ferocity that was so…_him_. We didn't fall in love right away, but he made up for lost time."

"That's…a very interesting story." At the strange look Alex gave her, Nadia quickly added, "I'm sorry. I…I never saw a lot of intimacy or…well, any love really, between my parents growing up. What you and Raph have…you two seem very close. He's so protective of you. I guess I just…well…" She shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Alex grinned and took a long sip of her coffee. "I wasn't all that into romance either. What I had before Raph always ended up messed up somehow and a lot of the guys I dated, I just did it for a sense of normalcy. Raph was a lot different from any of them. He knew who he was and wasn't afraid to show emotion once we became official. He was actually really sweet and-."

A sudden pounding on the door cut her off and she groaned, her head dropping forward. "Two guesses who that is."

Pushing away from the table, Nadia stifled a chuckle and went to answer the door. She may not have understood the depth of Alex's relationship with Raphael, but she still found it rather amusing that the woman could go from speaking so highly of him to grumbling obscenities under her breath because he had managed to find her.

She pulled the door open and offered her new guest a smile. "Good morning, Raphael."

"Yeah, hi," he muttered, pushing his way past her in an effort to quickly get out of the hallway.

Nadia followed close behind him, wanting to stop a blow out before it started. The image of Raph and Alex as a deeply involved couple was fresh in her mind and she didn't want anything to destroy that. Or anything to bring her past screaming back to her from the corner in which she had carefully tucked it away.

"It's half decaf," she muttered low enough for him to hear.

His steps slowed and he glanced at her over his shoulder, a grin turning up the corner of his wide mouth. "Still gonna act pissed, though. It's kind of a routine."

Nadia started, then watched on in stunned disbelief as Raph walked up to Alex, grabbed the cup of coffee out of her hands and finished it off himself. The two glared at one another, neither willing to back down.

"That…was _mine,_" Alex growled.

Raph crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a superior look. "Yeah? Well now it's gone."

"I'm Nadia's guest. She said I could have one."

"And I'm your husband and I said ya can't."

Alex stood as quickly as her pregnant bulk would allow her to and snatched the empty mug out of Raph's hands. "Well I say I can…and I say I'm having another one."

Raph glared at her a moment longer, then his hard, amber gaze turned to Nadia. She went tense under his scrutiny, her eyes darting back and forth between him and Alex.

"You makin' breakfast?" he asked.

His question took her completely off guard. "I um…ye-yes. I made cinnamon…rolls," she sputtered.

"Smell's great." He turned and made his way over to the oven where the pan of cinnamon rolls sat.

Nadia looked helplessly at Alex, confused beyond words and wondering if both of her new acquaintances were clinically insane. She had no idea what had just happened. Was that even normal?

"Oh, it's okay," Alex quickly said, waving her off. "We do this all the time. Is it okay if he helps himself? Not that-." She looked over towards Raph, rolling her eyes when she saw him leaning against the counter with a half eaten cinnamon roll in his hands. "Not that he won't just help himself. Sorry about that."

"That's…" Nadia shook her head, snapping her gaping jaw shut and feeling a bemused smile tug at her lips. "Okay."

"So…you guys goin' shoppin' today?" Raph asked around a mouth full of food.

Alex shot him a disgusted look and elbowed him lightly in the arm before refilling her coffee cup. He returned her jab with a rueful grin and she rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. "That was the plan. You're still having Casey and Mikey over for the game, right?"

"Yup."

"Yeah, as much as I'd love to sit and watch you guys yell at the TV. Did you still want to come with us, Nadia? You're more than welcome to. April just got back from a job so she's got money burning a hole in her bank account."

Still fascinated with the couple, Nadia sank into a chair at the dining room table and nodded. "I…if you want me to go with."

"Of course we do." Alex joined her at the table with her second cup of coffee. "Tell you what. How about both of us take a shower and get ready for the day. I'll come over say…two hours? And we'll head out. You don't have to work or anything, do you?"

Nadia shook her head. "No, not for another two days."

"Perfect. I'll see you in two hours then."

*~*~*~* _7 hours later *~*~*~*~*_

"I'm sorry that took so long. I honestly didn't think we'd spend the entire day shopping," Alex apologized for the third time since they had re-entered their apartment complex.

Nadia laughed and shook her head, digging through her purse for her keys. "It's _okay _Alex. Really. I had a lot of fun and I'm really glad you guys invited me to come with you. Thank you. Although…I don't know how I'm going to pay April back for everything." She looked down at the pile of bags stacked next to her door where she had placed them. The crib, dresser and changing table April had insisted on buying her, much to Nadia's complete shock, were scheduled to arrive in the morning.

"I wouldn't bother trying. I made an attempt to pay her back and all she did was buy me an obscenely expensive bath robe that I couldn't possibly afford to pay her back for. She told me if I tried to pay her back for one more thing she would not only tell Mikey where I keep my stash of chocolate goodies but that she would also…um…" Alex blushed furiously and averted her eyes, "She would also tell Raph about the day she and I stopped in a rather…um…questionable adult store."

Nadia paused in the process of unlocking her door, her head jerking up. She quickly staunched her laughter and asked, "That would be a problem because?"

Alex's lips twitched into a semblance of a smile, one she was obviously trying not to show. "Because he would want to know why I didn't come back with anything and probably send me back with a really long, itemized list. So not something I want to do."

The laughter Nadia had been holding back found its way out in a sudden burst. "Well, that certainly puts Raph in a less intimidating light."

Chuckling softly, Alex shrugged. "He may be a mutant turtle but he's still your typical guy. Okay, so….tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll be hanging around doing a lot of nothing." Nadia was starting to feel much more easy in Alex's company. She and April hadn't given her much of a chance to be otherwise. They had been very open and honest with her, very accepting of her regardless of what little they knew about her.

"Great." Alex leaned over and gave her a one armed hug, her other arm loaded with shopping bags. "Then I'll come over and help you out with setting up the nursery."

"Deal. Thanks for letting me come with you guys." Pulling away, Nadia tucked her hair behind her ear and ducked her head slightly to hide the please blush infusing her cheeks. "I had a lot of fun."

"Well, we had a lot of fun with you. Okay, see you tomorrow!"

Nadia waited until Alex had opened the door to her apartment. The sounds of shouting men spilled out into the silent hallway as she pulled the door open and she rolled her eyes. Nadia just caught the flash of Alex's exasperated smile before the woman ducked into her apartment and closed the door behind her.

With a tiny laugh, she turned and went into her own apartment. It was only once she was in the safety of her own home that she let the weariness settle into her and weaken her stance. She leaned back against the door with a tired sigh, dropped her bags and ran her hands over her face.

Though the day had been spent in the company of two women who had gone out of their way to make her feel welcome which she appreciated more than she could possibly express, it had also been exhausting. Not only because she was pregnant, but because friends, acceptance, and fun were not concepts she was familiar with at all. She had plastered a smile on her face and tried to, with everything she had in her, accept what was happening and go with the flow as Alex and April seemed to effortlessly do. She had watched them interact with each other, tried to mimic their mannerisms and not seem like such a pariah. One more hour would have done her in entirely.

Pushing away from the door, she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. As much as she didn't want to – her mind wandered back to a darker time. It was inevitable. The comparisons had to be made to the life she knew, and the one she was being introduced to. After filling her glass, she set it on the counter and propped her elbows on it, staring ahead at nothing.

First Michelangelo and Alex's kindness in saving her, then watching Alex and Raphael interact with one another, then Alex and April – was this how it was supposed to be?

She remembered watching her parents interact – the hard edge to their words, the formality, the lack of any visible affection. And the father of her baby…Victor…she had never known love with him. Just this awful, consuming desperation.

Raphael and Alex certainly weren't like that. Neither were Casey and April from what she had seen. They interacted with each other with a natural effortlessness. Victor had always approached her telling her how badly he needed her, how his wife was causing him to die inside and only she could set him free from her. He'd grasped at her, made her feel wanted in a way that hadn't been at all comfortable. But still…it was wanted. She had never known a day of that in her parent's household. It was a new concept and as terrifying as it was, she couldn't resist the allure, try as she might.

With a weary sigh, she rested her forehead against her hands. Things were so different here. It wasn't at all what she was used to. She wondered sadly if she would ever grow used to it, if she would ever understand the love her new friends shared with each other and their significant others, if she would ever know a love like that herself.

A light knock interrupted her thoughts and she glanced up at the door, her brows furrowing. She pushed away from the counter and went to the door, pulling it open. Her heart leapt and a flutter started in the pit of her stomach when Michelangelo's smiling face greeted her.

"Hey Nadi. Can I come in?" he asked, casting a nervous glance down the hallway just as Alex and his brother had earlier that morning. It was obvious that being out in public places did not make them very comfortable.

She moved aside, offering him a tired smile. "Sure. I thought you were watching a game."

"Nah. Football really isn't my thing. It was either hang with Casey and Raph or sit in the lair playing the same old video games over and over while trying to avoid training. But now you're here so I can officially alleviate my boredom in a much more enjoyable way."

Nadia felt heat creep up into her cheeks and quickly looked away from Mikey. "Um, do you…would you like something to drink?"

"Sure…whaddaya got?"

Grateful for the opportunity to put some space between them and sort out her sudden conflicting emotions, Nadia moved quickly into the kitchen. "Not much. Water, orange juice...umm." She checked the drawer under her microwave. "Ooh! Kool-Aid?"

"Works for me, babe."

She pulled a pitcher from the cupboard and watched Michelangelo move about the apartment as she mixed the powder and sugar together. He was wearing the customary baggy jeans and hooded sweatshirt. She found herself wondering if he looked like Raph under all of that clothing – the shell, the green tint of his skin, the muscles - all of the hard, toned muscles. She could still remember how those strong arms had felt around her. How they held her so securely, how his hands had gently grasped her arms with no amount of desperation. He hadn't clutched at her, hadn't clawed at her, he'd held her the way a man was _supposed_ to hold a woman.

The measuring cup she was using to measure out sugar slipped from her loose grip and clattered loudly on the count top, startling her out of her thoughts with a loud gasp. Before she could see whether or not Michelangelo noticed, she quickly turned to the sink and flipped the tap on. While the pitcher filled, she went to the freezer for a tray of ice cubes.

"Wow! This is a pretty impressive horror movie collection you have," he said after a Nadia had filled him a glass, grabbed her own glass of water and moved to join him in the living room.

Nadia smiled, handing him his Kool-Aid. "Yeah. I was never really allowed to watch anything with a rating over PG so when I got out on my own…I went a little nuts. I haven't actually watched any of them."

"What?!" Michelangelo gave her a look of pure shock. "Wait, wait, wait…you own some of the most classic horror movies known to man and you haven't watched _any_ of them?"

"I have watched," she reached out, tapping the tip of her pointer finger to _Clay Pigeons_, "this one. It may be the reason I haven't watched any of the other ones yet."

"Well yeah, babe. You can't start out with an intense psychological thriller like that and want to watch even more horror. You've got to plot it out. Start with the mild stuff, then _work_ your way into the really insane stuff."

Nadia arched a brow and regarded him over the rim of her glass. "Are you some kind of horror movie watching pro?"

"Of course I am! I am your man for horror movies, babe. I know the best, the worst, the worst worth watching, the cheesy, the creepy, the ones that make you want to turn on every light in your house and sleep with a baseball bat."

Tired as she was, Nadia couldn't help but laugh. "Does your enthusiasm ever run out?"

"Nope. It's a never ending pool of crazy fun." He winked and saluted her with his glass. "Get used to it."

"That and everything else," she murmured softly. When he gave her a confused look, she sighed and moved over to the couch, sinking into it and feeling as if a great weight was pressing her back into the cushions.

"What's up babe?" Michelangelo asked. He sat down beside her, careful to leave some space between them. "Didn't you have fun with April and Alex?"

Nadia rested her head against the back of the couch and stared up at her unremarkable ceiling. "Oh, I did have fun. It's just…I'm not used to having friends." She rolled her head to the side, giving her terrapin companion a bemused look. "Why am I telling you this?"

He shrugged and settled back further into the couch, regarding her with an easy charm that worked wonders on her nerves. She'd never been around someone who could make her feel so at ease. It was a foreign concept to her – just as friends were.

His silence acted as a prompt and before she knew what she was doing, she was telling him everything that she had carried around inside of her for so long now, everything that had poisoned and hurt her.

"My parents weren't…affectionate people. Not in the slightest," she started softly. Even those few words were enough to make the gaping internal wounds sting a little less. "I think…sometimes I think they hated each other. And being an only child, that hate often tended to pour over onto me. I don't even think that they loved me."

"All parents love their kids, Nadi," Mikey said softly, moving closer to her. His hand dropped to her shoulder. Instead of flinching away, she stayed where she was, leaning into the simple caress.

"In a perfect world, maybe. I was an accident. They wanted a son and…well, they got me instead. Without a son, my father's line died out. He needed one to carry on his namesake. My mom tried to have another child after me but it never happened. I think that's when they started hating each other and eventually started hating me. They sent me off to a Catholic girl's school. When my mom got sick, my father called me back home to take care of her while he worked.

"One night when my dad was working late, one of my dad's co-workers stopped by to check on is. There had been a string of break-in's and dad wanted to do his part to look good for the department." She paused and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the mess of emotions that the name she was about to speak always evoked. "Victor. He was younger than my dad by a few years, married, his wife had just had a baby. We didn't talk much that first night but he made it a habit to stop by and "check" on us at least a few times a week. Every day he would sit and talk to me a little bit longer - ask me about my life, my dreams, my wants. Not long after that he started telling me about how…how miserable he was in his marriage. His wife treated him like he didn't exist. All she cared about was the baby."

Nadia leaned forward, pressing her fingers to her temples. Discomfort settled in the pit of her stomach and her skin crawled as she remembered how horribly out of control Victor had been and how she had listened to him…how she had so stupidly felt compassion for him.

"My parents were…they were out of town one weekend for some business trip in Vegas and Victor showed up. He was…hysterical. He'd been drinking. He pushed his way into the house and I tried to tell him that he needed to leave but he wouldn't listen. He kept telling me that I _needed _to love him or he would die. I don't even know why I listened to half of the things he said."

She could feel the hot, angry tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn't care. She was purging herself of everything she had kept trapped inside of her for so long, suffering with the truth of it herself. Michelangelo was here, he was listening. He wasn't stopping her.

"I think…I think I had spent all of my life wanting so badly to feel needed by someone. As unhealthy as it was I…I couldn't say no to him. And…well," she gestured to her stomach. "You know how that story ended. When I told my father I was pregnant and told him whose it was…he called me a-a shameful whore and told me that he would not be a father to someone like me.

"I ran to the only person I could after that. It was so…so stupid of me. I wasn't thinking straight. All I could remember was all the frantic promises he made me when we were…together. I believed he meant it when he said that we could move away together, start a new life. When I showed up at his place, the story changed drastically. He acted like he didn't even know who I was. When I told him I was pregnant…he just said, 'go on little girl. Sell your baby daddy stories to someone willing to buy them.'"

"Gezz, Nadia-." Mikey breathed.

He pulled her into his arms and she went willingly, her heart lurching, aching from the pain she'd been carrying around for so long. "No one wanted me, so I left," she whispered pitifully, her arms going around him and holding tight, as if he were the only thing keeping her in place.

Michelangelo wanted to tell her that she was wanted. That he wanted her. But he knew those weren't the words that would help her right now. In time, she would know, but right now she just needed comfort. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," he murmured, pressing his face against the mass of her silken hair. "No one here will ever do anything like that to you."

She pushed away from him, her liquid brown eyes locking on his. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have unloaded on you like that."

Mikey gently pushed her hair out of her face and ran his thumb over her cheek, catching one of the many tears she'd cried. "It's okay. I'm used to it. Alex unloads on me all the time. Apparently I'm easy to talk to."

A small smile tilted the corners of her lips. "You really are," she murmured, brushing her hand over the opposite cheek. "Thank you, Michelangelo."

"No problem, Nadi. You gonna be okay?"

She delicately lifted one shoulder. "Maybe…eventually."

"Well, how about I help you with that eventually? Deal?"

Her smile brightened. She was going to have to learn how to take help when it was offered and trust those that deserved to be trusted. Michelangelo had saved her once already. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake by letting him in. "Deal," she agreed softly.

She leaned against him, slightly surprised by how easy it was to do so. "Mi Tortuga imaginaria," she whispered with a soft chuckle.

"I'm real babe," he murmured back, trailing his fingers in slow, comforting paths up and down her arm. He indulged himself in one soft kiss, pressing his mouth to the top of her head and inhaling her intoxicating scent. "Very real."

Content to hold her, he listened to the sound of her breathing, listened as it evened out and deepened, indicating that she had fallen asleep. He waited until he was certain that she was truly out, then shifted on the couch. It didn't take much to lift her slight weight. Even pregnant, she was still a tiny slip of a woman.

He took her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, pulling the quilt that lay folded at the foot up and tucking it around her. Her brows furrowed and she settled into the pillows, whispering his name softly. His heart tripped at the sound of it. "I'm gonna love you the way you deserve to be loved, Nadia," he whispered, brushing his fingers through her thick hair. "You just let me know when you're ready."

He watched her a moment longer, then regretfully straightened and left her bedroom, wandering back into the silent living room. Leaving didn't feel right. Not just because the comfort of his own bed or even the couch at Alex and Raph's held no appeal, but leaving Nadia after an emotional roller-coaster like the one she had just been on…it didn't feel right to leave her reeling from it in the morning when she woke up and realized what she had done. He went over to the couch, grabbed the thick blanket hanging over the back of it and lay down, settling in. Maybe he would make her breakfast in the morning.

The thought put a smile on his face and he closed his eyes, giving in to sleep.


	8. Awakening

**A/N:** Again, sorry this took so long guys! Real life keeps interrupting my writing. A big BIG thanks to Mikell for being such a wonderful beta and looking over all of this so carefully. I owe you lady! You've been wonderful and I'm SO very happy you pulled the "full editor" on me!! Also a nice big thanks to Diva Danielle for sitting and having coffee with me while figuring out how to "tense-up" the ending a bit. Thanks sweetie!

To everyone who reviewed – Betherkins, Mahalove, Raphsgirl, Zabbi, Angelvibes, Polaris, Whit and of course Mel and Mikell – thanks so much for your support and for sticking with this!! You're all rockstars in my book!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit off of the writing of this fic. Nadia and Alex do however belong to me.

**Chapter Eight: Awakening**

Nadia turned her head towards the warmth of sunlight spreading over her face, inhaling deeply through her nose. Her brows furrowed slightly as she snuggled further into her pillow. Pillow? Strange…she didn't remember coming to bed last night. She remembered coming home from shopping, talking to Michelangelo, sitting beside him on the couch and leaning into him, falling asleep-.

Nadia's eyes flew open and she jerked up in bed. Instinctively, her hand grasped at the comforter, yanking it up. There was no need. She was still in her jeans and sweatshirt from the previous evening. If Michelangelo had indeed moved her to the bed, that was all he had done.

Slightly bewildered, she moved out of bed and made a face as she looked down at her rumpled sweatshirt and jeans. She quickly removed them and changed into a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of pink and lavender boxers. A pair of teal slipper socks that clashed violently with the rest of her attire found their way onto her feet. Pleased with the outcome, she left her bedroom with one goal in mind – to make coffee. She had a feeling Alex would be stopping by early again.

She came to an abrupt stop, a tiny gasp escaping her when she saw Michelangelo sprawled on her couch. He'd spent the night?

Frozen in place, she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he drew in one deep breath after another. A blanket was draped over him, one that had obviously been kicked away from his legs at some point over the night. One leg was slightly drawn up at the knee and resting against the back of the couch. The other lay precariously close to the edge. His clothing was piled in a messy heap beside the couch.

He shifted, the blanket falling away further and exposing his chest, and her breath caught, but he didn't wake. Curiosity propelled her forward. She made her way carefully across the space that separated her from the couch, careful to be as quiet as possible so that she wouldn't interrupt his sleep. With little hesitation, she knelt on the floor beside him, tucking her knees under her.

She wasn't sure how he managed it, but in his sleep Michelangelo looked even more innocent and peaceful than he did when he was awake. She smiled softly and leaned close, studying him. He really was fascinating. His skin was a more vibrant green than Raphael's. Being as close as she was, she could see the contours of his muscles, the whorls that curled around his carapace, the smooth surface of his plastron. Was it solid, or did it yield to a touch?

Cautiously, she lifted a hand and allowed her fingertips to whisper over the surface. His plastron was warm, giving it the misleading feel of tough outer skin.

Her hand immediately stilled when he shifted, sighing softly. Wide eyes flew to his face and she held her breath, waiting to see if he would awaken. When he didn't, she relaxed. She couldn't take her eyes away from his face though. He was turned towards her, his wide mouth relaxed. Could he kiss with that mouth? She'd felt him press kisses to the top of her head before…but could he kiss?

Startled by her train of thought, Nadia dropped her hands in her lap and looked down. That should have been the last thing on her mind. After what happened with Victor…

She looked up at Michelangelo again, her eyes drawn to his face, to the innocence that settled over him. She had never known innocence like that. He was nothing…_nothing _like Victor. He was sweet, and kind, and he listened to her like he actually wanted to hear what she had to say.

Her stomach fluttered as she remembered the feel of his arms around her, the smooth timbre of his voice as he spoke, his full-hearted laugh, the way it all washed over her and eased the ache of loneliness, the relentless sting of betrayal. He was everything she wasn't. He was beauty, he was optimism. He was life.

Catching her bottom lip between her teeth nervously, she lifted a hand again, leaned close to him. Her fingertips moved on their own violation, hesitantly brushing the curve of his jaw, then brazenly sweeping up and over his cheek. His skin was surprisingly warm. A smile softened her features and she shifted closer, reveling in the moment and the insight it was providing her. Not only to Michelangelo…but these new feelings she couldn't entirely understand. Feelings she didn't even feel she had any right to feel.

But no one was around to stop her now. She could have a moment of weakness. She could have this moment to enjoy the beauty of Michelangelo, to touch him without anyone knowing what she had done. She sighed softly, her fingertips moving over his jaw and down his neck.

He shifted in his sleep again, a smile stealing over his face. "Nadia…" he whispered.

A gasp left her parted lips which now felt numb and her heart tripped wildly. Why had he said her name? Was he dreaming about her?

"Nadi…baby."

His hand came up, searching for purchase almost as if he knew she was sitting there. It bumped her shoulder, then swept up and curled around her neck. She made a small mewling sound and yet did not resist him. The small piece of her that had crawled into the corner and been disregarded for so long rose up within her. It was aching for human contact, for compassion, for something that she wouldn't have to fear.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she surrendered completely, brushing her mouth against his, sighing as his mouth fit so seamlessly against hers, molded and moved sensuously. Warmth furled deep within her, feathering outward, slowly consuming ever inch of her being until she burned with what she could only define as need. Need to touch, to feel…to want and be truly wanted in return. Maybe…to love.

He suddenly pulled away and Nadia jerked back, watching him fearfully as he stretched and yawned. Her mind worked in furious circles, praying madly that he had not been aware at all of what she'd done.

His eyes slowly opened, focused on her and a wide smile lit up his face. "Hey, mornin'," he murmured, his voice thick with sleep and blissfully lacking any form of hidden innuendo.

"Buenos dias," she murmured, too jarred to remember that she should be speaking English. She cleared her throat, mentally shaking off the lingering haze of emotions and forced a small smile to her mouth. "You stayed the night?"

Mikey looked around, his brows lowering slightly as he sorted out his surroundings and sleep ebbed slowly away. "Um…yeah. Kinda looks like I did, huh?" He sat up, the blanket sliding off his chest and into his lap, and rubbed the back of his neck, looking vaguely embarrassed. "Guess I figured after last night…might be less tense if I stuck around."

Nadia sat back on her heels, memories from the previous night screaming back at her. She'd fallen apart on him, told him everything. Humiliation heated her cheeks and she ducked her head. "I'm sorry."

"Hey." Mikey leaned forward. His hand cupped the side of her face, his thumb sweeping over her cheekbone. She bit her lip to stop herself from sighing and fought against the urge to lean toward him, to press her lips against his palm. What was _wrong_ with her?

"Don't apologize, Nadi. I'm glad you got it out. Keepin' all that inside would have torn you up eventually. I may not have known you that long but I can see what it's been doin' to you."

She lifted her head, blinking away the sudden rush of tears. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Someone has to be." He rested his forehead against her and grinned at her. "Besides…I kinda dig ya."

If possible, her face grew even warmer. "Mikey, I-."

"Hey, I'm just puttin' it out there. No expectations. Just thought you should know."

She nodded, uncertain of what to think or how to handle the sudden wild trip of her racing heart.

"Tell ya what," Mikey said, brushing her hair away from her face and tucking it gently behind her ear. "How about I make us some breakfast?"

She managed a smile and a nod, her nerves still frazzled, then allowed him to help her up.

"I make the best scrambled eggs this side of Queens, babe. You wait. Gimme a little shredded cheddar, some garlic, a bell pepper-."

A knock interrupted them as they made their way into the kitchen and Nadia went to answer it, leaving Mikey to his devices in the kitchen. He seemed to know what he was doing from the way he was talking.

As she walked to the door, she tried to sort out what she was feeling, tried to figure out what to do with the knowledge that Michelangelo "dug her." That statement had been equally terrifying and exciting. And knowing that he wasn't expecting anything from her…what did that even mean? Did that mean he was interested? That he was looking for something beyond what they had just started to have?

She sighed softly. She wasn't used to such a wide array of emotions all coming at her at once, leaving a confused bright mess in her mind. And checking the peephole just helped worsen those emotions. Alex stood in the hallway. She had half expected her new neighbor to show up but had forgotten all about the possibility when she had seen Michelangelo asleep on her couch. Now she was here. And so was Michelangelo.

Steeling herself, she pulled the door open and pasted a nice, big smile on her face. "Hey Alex."

Alex's eyes narrowed and she pointed an index finger at Nadia, her other three fingers and thumb wrapped around the handle of a coffee mug. "That…is a suspicious smile," she muttered with a grin, breezing by Nadia. She stopped almost immediately upon seeing Michelangelo standing in the kitchen. "Aaaand now I see the reason for it. Hey Mikey."

"Hey Alex," the young terrapin greeted enthusiastically. "Can I buy your silence with coffee?"

Alex regarded him shrewdly, trying not to smile. "You have my attention."

"Coffee and an omelet with extra cheese?"

"Sold!"

Mikey turned his smile on Nadia. "Sorry babe, we have to appease her to keep her on our side…for the time being. Don't think I don't know you're gonna tell that husband of yours everything later."

Striding into the kitchen, Alex bumped Mikey with her hip. "More than likely."

Again baffled by the easy interaction between the two, Nadia joined them in the kitchen and started to rummage through her cupboards for her canister of coffee and package of filters. "So…this is only temporary?"

Alex took the pot of coffee and washed the dregs out in the sink before refilling it. "Yeah. Sorry. Apparently in a marriage there's this honesty thing." She shrugged. "Makes it really hard to keep secrets."

Nadia chuckled softy, casting a look behind her and watching Mikey pull ingredients from her fridge and stack them on the counter. "Should I be trusting him?" she asked Alex softly.

"Mikey? Oh yeah. His omelets should be legendary," she answered as she poured the water into the percolator. "I didn't even like eggs before I met him. Then I had one of his omelets and he completely converted me. I wouldn't go trusting any of his brothers in the kitchen, though."

"Why's that?" Nadia poured a few spoonfuls of grounds into the filter and started the percolator. She then turned and and relaxed against the counter as she watched Michelangelo move easily about the kitchen.

"Well, Donnie burns things, Leo breaks things…and Raph thinks everything tastes better with beer or Tabasco. So yeah...Mikey's your safest bet."

It wasn't long before the scent of coffee, good cooking and the sounds of laughter filled Nadia's apartment. They were just sitting down to breakfast when another knock sounded at the door. Like a shot, Alex was out of her chair, moving impressively fast for as far into her pregnancy as she was towards the kitchen, coffee mug clasped in her hand. Nadia moved away from the table with a small chuckle, knowing that Alex was destroying evidence before Raph could bust her, yet again.

"Take your time answerin' the door, Nadi," Mikey drawled, giving her a lazy grin as he relaxed in his chair and saluted Alex with his mug of coffee. Alex shot him a glare, finished hers off and placed the empty mug in the sink before turning back to join him. She was just sinking into her chair, fixing a content smile on her face, when Nadia pulled open the door.

Raph stood on the other side. He gave her a bemused look that edged on superior. "What, no cinnamon rolls?"

Ignoring the look, Nadia straightened marginally, her body responding to his silent challenge of authority. She returned his grin and shook her head. "Omelets. Come in."

She moved aside and his grin widened as he stepped over the threshold. His footsteps fell short when he looked to where Alex and Mikey sat. Nadia just barely caught the look that passed between the husband and wife before saw the roll of Mikey's eyes. They had apparently been busted and although impressed with how quickly Raph and Alex had carried off such an informative silent conversation, Nadia couldn't help but feel mortified. Michelangelo's brother now knew that he'd spent the night at her apartment.

Great, as if it wasn't bad enough that she had kissed Michelangelo in his sleep, as if it wasn't bad enough that she had fallen apart on him and become a clingy mess, as if it wasn't -.

"So, Mikey…you gonna make me some breakfast, or what?"

Nadia's eyes went wide and her gaze darted from Raph to Mikey. The younger terrapin winked at her as he stood. "Yeah, yeah. I'll cook for ya."

It was too much for so early in the morning and only one cup of half-decaf coffee. Bewildered, she sank back down in her chair and tucked into her food after giving a little shake of her head.

"You'll get used to it."

She jerked her head up, fixing a questioning look on her face. Alex wasn't buying it though. She chuckled, the forkful of eggs poised in her hand.

"You'll get use to it…us," Alex elucidated. "Mikey and Raph are the easiest ones to get used to...though it's hard to believe-." She paused long enough to return Raph's glare with an impish grin, "It's true. They grow on ya."

"Like mold," Mikey quipped as he threw together breakfast for his brother. "Really awesome, studly, ninja mold."

"That's," Nadia started, glancing down at her breakfast to determine whether or not his analogy put her off her appetite, "graphic."

"Nah, what's graphic is-."

"Can it, Mikey," Raph muttered, rolling his eyes.

Alex laughed and finished off the rest of her omelet, then pushed away from the table. "Coffee, hun?"

"For me or you?" he asked, giving her a lop-sided grin.

Alex leaned over and brushed her mouth against his. "For you to have…and me to steal occasional sips from."

"We'll see about that," Raph muttered, tilting his head back and watching the sway of Alex's hips as she strutted into the kitchen. "Mm, never get tired of watchin' that."

"I don't know if I know you well enough to listen to this," Nadia said, casting him a smirk.

Raph rolled his head towards her and returned it. "Can't a man appreciate his wife?"

Nadia opened her mouth to respond and a memory flashed quickly through her mind – one of her father sitting at the kitchen table, picking at the food her mother had spent all afternoon preparing for his birthday. He'd taken one bite then tossed his fork on his plate and shoved it away, claiming that the meal was entirely inedible. Her mother had spared him a glance, and nothing more, seemingly uninterested in her husband opinion of her cooking. And that was one of the less significant moments in which she'd seen her parents act so indifferently towards each other.

Could a man appreciate his wife? Obviously he could. She had just never seen it happen. She'd known two married couples and one very abrasive and emotionless life and was just starting to realize how abnormal her upbringing had been.

She sighed, her shoulder lifting in a delicate shrug. "Appreciate away," she said before stuffing a fork-full of omelet in her mouth.

Raph emitted a strange noise, something between a chuckle and a grunt. "Glad I have yer blessin'."

Nadia bit back a smile. She was starting to get a handle on this temperamental turtle.

Alex and Mikey rejoined them, Alex sneaking covert sips of coffee behind Mikey's back as she followed him. Raph pretended to ignore it though it was obvious he knew what she was up to. Nadia was starting to realize that this coffee thing was an ongoing, light-hearted battle. Yet another insight to the way a normal couple behaved. She was quickly starting to feel like a scientist observing another species.

"What time are the delivery guys going to be here with your nursery furniture?" Alex asked as she sank slowly into her seat. Her hand fell to her stomach and she pursed her lips, slowly exhaling and shifting.

From the corner of her eye, Nadia saw Raph tense, saw the way his attention zeroed in on his wife. Again, normal "couple behavior" Nadia had never known existed. She was amazed, and yet at the same time, she felt a wave of self-pity wash over her. What kind of person was she that she didn't even know a couple could act in such a normal way? Not much of one if she was so immersed in watching and categorizing every interaction Alex and Raphael had.

She cleared her throat, attempting to rid herself of the sudden lump of emotion that had lodged itself there. "Um, they should be here in about an hour and a half. I..ah…I hope this doesn't seem rude, but I'm going to grab a quick shower before they get here. Is that okay?"

"Go ahead, hun." Alex waved her off.

"We'll hold down the fort," Mikey added, giving her that infectious grin of his that caused her heart to flutter anxiously. "We'll use Raph as a guard dog. He's pretty effective."

"Again," Raph muttered around a mouthful of food, "can it."

Allowing a small smile, Nadia excused herself, dropped her dishes carefully in the sink and disappeared into her room.

Once the bolt clicking into place sounded, Alex turned to face Michelangelo. "Spill," she commanded.

Rolling his eyes, Michelangelo leaned back in his chair. "And if I don't?"

"I'll sit on ya," she threatened. Although the face she was giving him was anything but intimidating. She was trying to look menacing but she was failing.

"Ya spent the night, huh?" Raph asked, glancing up from his half finished omelet to fix him with a quick, knowing look before going back to eating.

"Not the way you're thinkin'."

He suddenly wished that Alex and Raph didn't live in the same building, that they weren't sitting at the same table as he was right now giving him the third degree when all he wanted to do was talk to Nadia again, to hear her voice, to help her past whatever skeletons kept pulling her back into the dark closet of her past.

Her observation of Raph and Alex hadn't gone unnoticed by him. He'd seen the way she watched them, the confusion and wonder that had warred for dominance in her dark eyes. She needed help understanding this "new world" she found herself in and he wanted to be the one to help her, not the one to stand by and watch her try to figure things out on her own from watching the behavior of people around her.

"Why did you?" Alex asked, catching his attention.

"We got to talkin' last night and…well, she has a past. I didn't feel right just leaving after she unloaded it on me. I wanted to be here in case…in case she felt like she'd done something wrong. In case she felt like she scared me off or something by telling me."

It was enough of an explanation for them, he could tell by the smile on Alex's face that for the time being, her curiosity was appeased. It wouldn't last long. He'd bet money on that.

A loud rapping shattered the peaceful silence and both Mikey and Raph went tense, their gazes jerking toward the door.

"Must be the delivery guys. They're early," Alex said. She bit back a smile as both turtles rushed to the soon-to-be-nursery to hide. "It was so much more impressive when they put a little effort and creativity into hiding," she mused, going to answer the door.

She pulled it open, smiling at the three delivery men standing in the hallway with a crib, changing table and dresser. As she signed for them, the men brought in the boxes, leaving them in a rather haphazard stack next to the table. She thanked the delivery men, closing the door behind them, then turned a critical eye on the boxes. She'd had the luxury of having her nursery furniture put together for her by April and Casey as a "welcome to your new apartment" gift. These…did not look like they came assembled. They looked like they came in pieces.

"They're not all put together and ready to go?" Michelangelo asked, appearing beside her and looking the boxed furniture over with slight confusion.

"Nope. Looks like a 'do it yourself' situation." She turned an impish smile on him. "Want me to call Donny?"

Mikey gave her an affronted look. "Heck no. We got this. Me and Raph can figure it out, right Bro?"

Sidling up behind Alex and wrapping his arm around her waist, Raph nodded. "Sure. Nothin' to it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three hours later and one phone call to Donny for help proved them entirely wrong.

"Didn't you guys read the instructions at all?" Donny asked, shooting a wry glance at his two brothers as he worked to unscrew a bad judgment call on Mikey's part.

"Men don't need instructions," Alex and Nadia simultaneously quoted a comment made by Raph earlier, leaning against each other for support as they gave in to fits of giggles.

The instructions Donny spoke of were actually still in the boxes that were now sitting beside the front door, waiting to be carried out. Mikey had thought to grab them at some point, but found it much more amusing to watch Alex and Raph bicker about which letter went in what slot. It was around the sixth round of "Raph, wrong slot. It says slot F, not slot A" followed up with string of curses and a, "It's gonna go wherever I want it to go" that Mikey called in the cavalry.

"I was gettin' it a lot more figured out than you knucklehead's were," Raph muttered.

"Of course you were, baby," Alex agreed for the sake of placating his bruised ego, going to her husband and wrapping her arm around his. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and he lowered his head to brush her temple with a gentle kiss.

Mikey looked away from the couple, shaking his head, and found Nadia watching them again. Her expression lacked the edgy defeatism from earlier that day. She seemed to be more reflective now, more observant.

Keeping his eyes on Donny and listening to the constant running commentary between him and Raph, Mikey moved to stand beside Nadia. "You look like you're goin' a little Jane Goodall over here," he murmured, leaning over and lowering his voice so that only she could hear him.

An easy smile, one that brought out the faintest indent of a dimple, curved her lips. "That obvious?" she asked, reluctantly tearing her gaze from Raph and Alex to look up at him. "I've never…" she trailed off, shrugging and dropping her eyes to the floor as if she were ashamed of what she was about to say.

"It's okay, Nadi. I get it."

She looked up at him, her dark eyes searching his, her brows furrowed slightly. "Is this…is this how all couples act?"

Mikey studied his brother and Alex for a moment, trying to see them the way Nadia saw them. He was so used to being around the pair that he never noticed how they worked. He knew they did and he knew they loved each other. He'd never really watched them though.

Alex was laughing at something Raph said, darting out of his grasp and moving around to the other side of the crib to help him move it into its designated spot in the corner. Once in place, she moved to stand beside him again. Her fingertips trailed over Raph's arm, his arm came around her waist, they shared the kind of look those deeply in love shared, then looked down at the crib together, lost in a parents-to-be moment.

There were so many mannerisms, so many little movements here and there that spoke of what the Alex and Raph shared, even when they were not standing next to each other. From what he'd heard last night, it was the polar opposite of what Nadia had seen with her parents.

"I can't speak for all couples," he said. "It's how Raph and Alex act. Kinda how Casey and April act. Course, those two have been together a lot longer than Raph and Alex have."

"This is so different from what I'm used to seeing," Nadia mused. "I didn't know people could…function like this."

Mikey's heart clenched and at the same time, anger sparked deep within. He knew it was pointless to be angry with Nadia's parents. They weren't here, he knew nothing of their past that made them who they were. He couldn't seem to help it though. Her entire situation was so unfair. She deserved better than that.

"Come on." He reached down and took her hand, determined to distract her from her thoughts. "Let's help Brainiac finish up and get this place looking like a nursery."

Nadia offered him a shy smile and nodded, allowing him to pull her over to where Donny sat, diligently setting right to what Raph and Mikey had done wrong.

Between the five of them, it only took an hour and a half more to assemble the dresser and changing table and situate the room to Nadia's liking – the crib in the corner, the changing table at the foot against the wall and the dresser against the wall by the door.

They spent the hour after that unpacking everything Alex, April and Nadia had picked out for the nursery the previous day. To their credit, the guys were very minimal in their dry, chauvinistic opinions of every pale green and baby blue accessory they came across, mostly due to the fact that the women in the room were both pregnant and, as Mikey so accurately stated, "pregnant women are scary when they're ticked off."

Once the bedding was tucked carefully around the mattress, the few stuffed animals laying peacefully over the tiny, quilted comforter, the wall decoration and drapes hung (with little to no help from Alex and Nadia due to Raph's demands) they all stood back and looked over their handiwork with pride.

"Not half bad for three mutant turtles and two pregnant chicks," Mikey quipped, grinning proudly.

"Not bad at all," Alex agreed. "Thanks for coming over to help Donny."

"Don't be too quick to thank me. Raph promised me supper."

With a sound of feigned disgust, Alex nudged Raph with her elbow. "You would. I'll cook, but only after I get a nap in. I'm exhausted. You can tinker with my laptop until I wake up if you want. Pretty sure I downloaded something not-so-great onto it."

Donny's eyes lit up and his grin grew. "Oh yeah?"

"Like a kid in a freakin' candy store," Raph grumbled.

The group moved out to the main area of Nadia's apartment. Mikey retrieved his clothing from beside the couch and went to Nadia's room to slip into them. After a quick round of goodbyes, Alex, Raph and Donny were out the door, leaving Mikey and Nadia alone.

"Guess I should get going too," Mikey murmured as he walked out of her room fully disguised save for his unzipped sweatshirt and checked the time. "Haven't been home yet and Leo's probably got a good lecture worked up for me."

Nadia whirled to face him. "Oh no. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you in trouble. He's not really going to be mad, is he?"

He couldn't help but chuckle softly at how worried she looked. Even though they'd settled their differences, she felt enough apprehension toward Leo that she was worried for him. "Relax Nadi, I'm kidding. He doesn't do the lecture thing so much anymore. Raph and Alex gettin' together, movin' out….guess he kind of sees no point in lecturing one of us for staying the night somewhere else. As long as he doesn't find out I spent the night here."

"Would he?" she asked, looking, if at all possible, even more worried.

"Nah, he's not gonna find out." He lifted a hand, unable to stop himself from tucking the errant strand of thick midnight that hung over her eyes, teasing him, behind her ear. "Alex and Raph aren't gonna say anything. Neither am I."

Her shoulders dropped a little and she emitted a tiny, relieved sigh "Okay."

"You work tomorrow?"

"No. I have one more night off."

Mikey gathered his courage and pushed back the anxiety that had started to creep up on him, rattling his nerves. "You wanna….I dunno…maybe get together and start in on that horror movie collection of yours?"

Her full lips quirked up. "The expert is going to help me get started out the right way in the horror genre?"

"You bet babe! We'll start with something classic and cheesy. How does that sound?"

"Good," she said with a little nod. "I look forward to it."

He silently congratulated himself. She had her barriers and they were solidly constructed ones. But he was going to find a way around them as patiently as he possibly could. "Well, guess I should go then. You want me to drop by around six?"

"Yeah, six sounds good. I'll see you then."

She was so close that he could see the blush creep up in her cheeks. She was shy, she was nervous….but so was he. This was just as new for him, though he didn't have the history holding him back and making him apprehensive.

"See you then," he murmured, his hand dropping to her shoulder. She tensed slightly. He moved forward, dropping a kiss to her head just as he had the previous evening. That seemed to be a safe move, one that didn't cause her to retreat. As she leaned close, her lids dropping to hide her eyes, he couldn't help but think what else was safe?

Experimentally, he ducked his head brushed a soft kiss against the velvet skin of her cheek. He heard her breath catch and pulled back only far enough to be able to look her in the eyes. There were too many emotions there to read what she was thinking accurately - anxiety, anticipation, confusion. They watched each other carefully, the silence closing in around them.

He brushed his thumb over her shoulder and, against his better judgment, leaned in, closing the distance between them. For a moment, he dared to hope.

Nadia's eyes went wide, her breath came out in warm little gasps, fanning his cheek and neck. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips and she swayed ever-so-slightly toward him. Then suddenly she went rigid and jerked back, a tiny strangled noise leaving her parted lips. He quickly forced a smile and dropped his hand. "Sorry," he murmured quietly. "That's kinda the whole deal with diggin' ya. I want to kiss you like…all the time."

"Mikey-," she started, a pained expression crossing her face.

"Nadi…don't. It's okay…really." He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, shrugging. "I'm a patient guy."

She seemed to collect herself, to pull herself back together, then nodded and smiled sadly. "You….you can still come over tomorrow night, if you want," she offered.

"Yeah, I want." His hands itched to touch her but he knew he shouldn't. He pulled at the zipper of his sweatshirt instead. "So…see you tomorrow night then. Bye Nadi."

"Bye Mikey."

He left, mentally kicking himself for moving too quickly too soon and then laughing. It was an odd feeling, criticizing a bad move while fully anticipating the date that had still managed to hold true even through that bad move. Maybe he was just lucky that way.


	9. Date Night

**A/N:** Hey everybody!! Yay yay! I updated again!! I know, hard to believe, right? I make up for the long wait with a looooong chapter.

Shout outs: (Yeah, that's right…I'm a 28 year old mom who just used the words shout out!! HA!) Huge thanks first and foremost to Mikell for being my awesome, inspiring, I-loath-your-POV-switches beta!!! Added that last bit to make you smile Mar, you know I love you!!

And super huge thanks to Diva Danni for inspiring me, giving me ideas when I got stuck and getting romantically carried away to the point that both Mikell and I begged her to write smut to get it out of her system. Highly entertaining when on zero caffeine.

OMG, SthrnGrl…you rock my world sweetie and you know it. Thank you so much for helping me out with the translations on here!

Big thanks to Mel, Angelvibes (mwah hun!), Zabbi, inudeamon02, Raphsgirl, Polaris and Mahalove. And thanks to all of you who are following and fav'ing this. Glad to see you're liking it!

Okay, now that that's over…DISCLAIMER TIME!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing TMNT related and make no money from the writing of this fic. Alex and Nadia are characters of mine. Everything that appears in this chapter (i.e. the Jonas Brothers (don't ask), Le Casa del Terror and Idle Hands) are strictly used for referential purposes.

**Chapter Nine: Date Night**

As he sat on the couch, Leonardo enjoyed one of the rare moments of quiet offered to him throughout the day and took advantage of a day-long marathon of Dirty Jobs. Donatello had opted to join him at one point, bringing with him some left over supper and two sodas. The moments he had with his younger brother were just as rare as moments of quiet and he enjoyed them thoroughly. Out of all of all of his brothers, Donnie was the only one he could just sit and be quiet with. Raph, even though not nearly as often as he used to, usually took advantage of having moments alone with Leo to antagonize him. Michelangelo couldn't remain silent for very long. Donatello was content to just sit and be, one of the things Leonardo could certainly relate to at times.

Of course, silence in the Lair didn't usually last long. The first time Michelangelo wandered past the living room, neither Leo nor Donnie thought much of it. Mikey rushing through a room while mumbling to himself was a normal occurrence. The second time also went unnoticed. The third caught their attention and they shared a confused look before simultaneously shrugging and going back to watching their show. The fourth time, Mikey gave them no choice but to pay attention.

"Dudes! Where is it?!"

The orange-masked terrapin had come to a stop beside the couch, throwing his hands dramatically in the air and glaring accusingly at his two older brothers.

"Where's what, Mikey?" Leo asked.

"The laundry detergent! I've looked everywhere. I can't find it and I need to get my good sweatshirt washed like…now!"

Leo threw a questioning glance at Donatello who only shrugged in response. Mikey doing the laundry? Neither of them could remember the last time he'd willingly even collected laundry and brought it back to the washer and dryer Casey and April had given them several years ago. Laundry wasn't Mikey's thing. Come to think of it, no household chore was really Mikey's thing.

With a sigh, Leonardo bid a silent, temporary goodbye to Mike Rowe and pushed himself up. "Relax. I think April brought some down the other day and it got left in the kitchen. What's with the sudden need to get your clothes washed?" he asked, leading the way into the kitchen.

"Oh um…it's nothin' really. I just…I got a thing tonight," Mikey explained.

Leonardo stopped by the counter in front of the sink, casting a suspicious look over his shoulder before hunkering down to retrieve the laundry detergent from the cupboard. "A thing?"

"Yeah. I ah…" Mikey rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I kind of got a…date-thing with Nadia tonight."

Leo stood slowly and set the laundry detergent on the counter. He didn't want to look disapproving but as his older brother and the leader, it was hard not to. He tried to erase any look that would set off Mikey from his face before he turned to him. "A date-thing?"

"Yeah. Nadia's got this epic horror collection. We're gonna watch a few of 'em tonight." His hand shot out and he snagged the laundry detergent. "Thanks Leo!"

He'd almost made it out with not another word from the eldest. Almost.

"Mikey."

Leo watched as his brother came to a stop right over the threshold, his shoulders hunching. He turned slowly, a pained expression on his face. "Make it quick," he muttered.

Leonardo bit back a sigh. It was at times like these that he wasn't fond of his role as leader. His brothers seemed to expect him to discourage everything they did that he did not agree with. He thought that it might get easier after Raph and Alex had settled down and gotten serious. If anything, it seemed to have gotten worse. At times it almost seemed as if Don and Mike felt Raph had provided some form of buffer for them. Now that he was a husband and soon-to-be father, living in an apartment out of the Lair with Alex, that buffer was gone and they were fair game.

_Start out with something positive,_ he reminded himself. "How is Nadia?"

The question seemed to startle Mikey. His head jerked up, his eyes went wide.

"She's good," Mikey replied after a moment's hesitation. "Me, Don, Raph and Alex helped get her nursery set up yesterday."

"I heard," Leo murmured with a patient smile. "That' was nice of you to help her out."

"Leo, cut the crap and get to the speech."

This time he didn't bother holding back a sigh. "Just…be careful, Mikey."

"Jeez Leo," the youngest groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I thought we were past this? Nadia promised she wouldn't say anything and you told her you believed her. Why the sudden switch?"

"It's not her I'm worried about," Leo admitted softly. At Mikey's confused look, he crossed the room, stopping before him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's you, Mikey."

"Me? Why are you worried about me?"

"When am I not worried about you, Michelangelo?" he asked with a rueful grin.

Mikey chuckled. "Good point."

"It's obvious that you like Nadia. It's just as obvious that she has a past – one we don't know much about. There could be people in her life that she may have written off. Those people might not have done the same for her. Just…be careful, okay?"

Mikey glanced down for a moment. When he looked back up, Leo immediately steeled himself. His younger brother had that look of resolve on his face. I wasn't a look Leo saw often. In fact, the last time he had seen it had been the night Raph had given in to that black oblivion that used to ruthlessly haunt him. It had been the night he was sparring with Alex, the night he had unknowingly hurt her. Mikey had set aside all his usual joking optimism and replaced it with a stern, unforgiving attitude that had startled them all, telling Raph to stay away from Alex until he'd had a chance to talk to her, giving him the same look he now had leveled on Leo.

"You know, I appreciate you worryin' Leo. You're my big brother. I wouldn't expect anything less. But remember how you treated Alex at first? You alienated her. You didn't even give her a chance. Soemtimes…you gotta give people the benefit of the doubt, Bro. Not everyone's gonna be Shredder or Bishop…heck, even Stockman." He paused, then added very quietly, "Not everyone's gonna be Karai, Leo."

Leo drew in a quick, startled breath, his blood going cold at the mere mention of the name.

"I'm sorry, dude. Maybe that was below the belt but…but I like this girl. And she needs friends right now. You can look out for me all you want. Just…trust me with this, okay? Even if you don't...I'm twenty five, Leo. Let me make my own mistakes."

His eyes with pleaded Leo even as his shoulders lifted and pressed back in a show of slight defiance. Michelangelo had a point though. He was an adult and certainly capable of making his own mistakes. He'd been capable of that even before adulthood. As much as he loathed to do it…Leonardo had to let go.

"Alright, Mikey," he conceded, nodding once and offering him a warm smile. "I trust you."

Mikey gave him that bright trade-mark grin of his and pulled him into a hug, pounding on his back a little more roughly than necessary. "Thanks. I'm nervous enough as it is. Don't think a Fearless Leader speech would have made me feel any better."

Leo pulled back. Keeping one arm around Mikey's shoulders, he waited for him to snag the laundry detergent, then led him out of the kitchen. "What are you nervous for? Didn't you spend the night there last night?"

"Jeez, word travels fast," Mikey muttered with a roll of his eyes. "You guys are worse than a bunch of high school chicks sometimes, you know that?"

"Minus the screaming and Jonas Brothers obsession," Leo added dryly.

Mikey staggered a bit, a laugh of disbelief tripping over his tongue. "I don't know what worries me more, the fact that you gossip, or the fact that you know who the Jonas Brother's are."

"You can thank Alex and all of her tabloid magazines for that one."

"Hey." Mikey patted his shoulder, then pulled away and saluted him as he started walking backwards towards the laundry room. "Whatever helps ya sleep at night, Bro!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*_Nadia's Apartment, 6:35pm*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

Mikey stared at the door in front of him, intimidation replacing optimism, nervous anxiety replacing his usual joking demeanor. He was early. Twenty five minutes early. Would she see that as desperate? He didn't want to come off as desperate. Even the mere thought of appearing to be made his stomach roll uneasily.

"Get a grip dude," he muttered to himself, wiping his damp palms on his jeans and swallowing hard. "You spent the whole day with her yesterday. This isn't any different."

But it was different. This was a date. Even if neither of them had formally referred to it as one…this was a date. There would be dinner, probably popcorn, definitely a movie – all factors that dates were made up of. Wait…would there be dinner? They hadn't actually agreed on that. He hoped there would be. Facing this with an empty stomach would probably cause him to throw up at some point if there wasn't.

"What the crap," he growled, whirling away from the door and shoving the one to Alex and Raph's apartment open without knocking. "Hey, any chance you guys have some kind of…I dunno…testosterone pills around here? Maybe some Man-up meds? Could sure use 'em!"

Snuggled into the oversized chair in the living room, Alex didn't even bother looking up from the book she was reading. A smirk curled her lip. "Date with Nadia?"

"I don't even know if it's a date!" he cried as he walked over to the couch and flopped down. He dropped his head back against the couch, covered his face with his hands and made a disjointed sound of frustration. "Wait," he let his hands fall to his sides and popped up, looking around the apartment. "My head's still on…why is my head still on? Where's Raph?"

"I was dipping pickles in peanut butter and eating them. He couldn't handle it so he went down to the Lair to hang out with Donnie and Leo for a bit. Claims they're less gross than I am right now." Alex pressed a finger to the page she was on, tracing it over the last line in the page before folding over the edge of the page and closing the book. "So, nervous?"

"Nope, not at all," Mikey replied, sarcasm thickly lacing each word.

Tossing the book to the floor beside the chair, Alex shifted to face him, propping her elbow on the arm. "Mikey, you've spent time alone with her. You spent the night there. How is this any different?"

"Because it's actually a date," he muttered, cutting his hands through the air in a swift, down-ward motion to emphasize the word 'date.' "You know…that thing I've never been on?"

Alex rolled her eyes, giving her brother-in-law a patient smile. "Mikey, you're going to be fine. Just relax and be your wonderful, charming, obnoxious self."

"Haha." He dropped his knees on his elbows and leaned forward, fixing his gaze on the floor. "I really like her, Alex," he admitted softly.

Getting out of her chair, Alex came to the couch and sat down beside him, hooking her arm through his and letting her hand rest on his upper arm. "I know you do, Mikey."

He looked up and they shared a smile before Alex wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "If you like her so much….why are you sitting on my couch?"

Mikey pulled back, letting his hands fall to Alex's stomach. "Came here to rub Buddha for good luck," he quipped with a quick grin and a wink.

"Brat!" Alex laughed, swatting at him. "Get out of here and go see Nadia. And quit being so nervous. It's so not your style."

"True. Charismatic and adorable is more my style." He stood up, then looked down at his sister in law. Sometimes he wondered what they would have done without her, how much more of Raph they may have lost without someone there to center him and pull him back. She'd helped them all more than she would ever know. Right now she was giving him strength and courage…and she probably had no clue she was even doing so.

Smiling, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Sis. And thank you."

"I love you too, Michelangelo." She pressed a hand to his cheek. "Have fun on your date."

"Oh, you bet I will." And with that, he pulled his hood up and was out the door, feeling much calmer and much more ready to take on the daunting task of a date night with Nadia. It seemed less intimidating now, though he'd still rank it up there along with facing Leatherhead in one of his "scary moods" as Mikey liked to call them. Just like one of those chance run ins, the thought of a date with Nadia had the power to scare the skin right off him.

Taking a deep breath, Mikey squared his shoulders, lifted his hand and knocked. He heard Nadia's muffled voice telling him to "come in" and pushed the door open. The smell was the first thing that hit him – spicy, mouth watering, and clearly Mexican.

Standing at the stove, working a spatula and frying pan as if she had been born in a kitchen, was Nadia. Her hair hung around her face, the shirt she wore was low cut, green that barely clung to the curve of her shoulders and was definitely what he would consider on the higher end of fancy. A collection of shiny, smooth stones set throughout a series of silver chains hung around her neck and if he was guessing right, she was wearing lipstick. She looked like a girl about to go on a date. His spirits lifted considerably.

Closing the door, he leaned against the wall and pushed his hood back, grinning lazily at her. "Whacha cookin, Nadi?"

She smiled, but did not look up from the task at hand. "Picadillo and Spanish rice. You want to help?"

"You bet." He sauntered into the kitchen feeling even more at ease when she glanced up and grinned shyly at him. Sure, that quick little turn of her full lips sent his heart racing, but it did wonders for his nerves. It was an odd occurrence, but he'd take feeling at ease over being a nervous wreck any day. "What do you need me to do?"

Her nose scrunched up as she thought it over, her stirring slowing momentarily. "Could you get the garlic and peppers out of the fridge and start the rice for me?" she asked, nodding to a pot of boiling water before going back to adding ingredients to her mixture of beef, tomatoes and onions.

They worked together for nearly half an hour, chatting about their days, Mikey stealing bites here and there and narrowly avoiding her ringed hands when she attempted to lightly smack his away from the food. Once the food was done they worked together to set the table, then carried it all out and sat down to enjoy.

The first bite had Mikey's eyes rolling upward, the mouth watering taste melting upon contact. "I renounce pizza!" he exclaimed. "Dang, Nadi. You can cook, girl!"

"I didn't really have a choice when it came to learning how. In school it was either cook or do laundry. I opted for cooking," she said.

"Laundry or cooking? Where'd you go to school, boot camp?"

She laughed softly and shrugged. "Kind of. An all girl's private school. Mom was busy working all the time, dad was on the force, neither was ever home much. I guess it made more sense to ship me off to a place where I could be watched 24/7."

Mikey made a face at that. He was continually faced with the fact that her parents seemed to think she was nothing more than baggage. How could anyone live like that? How could a parent treat their child as if they didn't even want them? "That must have sucked. I can't imagine being sent away from my family."

"Well, your family's normal," Nadia commented dryly.

"Oh yeah, we're real normal. There's walkin' talkin' mutant turtles all over the place in New York. "

Laughing, Nadia nudged his calf with her toe. "You know what I meant. You guys function like a family should. You make fun of each other, but it's never meant to be intentionally mean. It's fun to watch you and your brothers interact. It's…nice to know that people can care for each other like that."

"You getting used to it?" he asked, genuinely concerned. Watching the fixated way she had stared at Raph and Alex yesterday had been a little unsettling. It was hard for him to understand how someone could be so untouched by affection that they seemed almost starved for it when they saw it. Even when things were at their worst, his family had always stuck together. He'd never had a moment pass by in his life where he ever thought that one of his brothers or his father didn't love him.

"Yeah…I guess. I mean, it's different. It made me really angry at first. Not at Raph or Alex," she quickly corrected. "With my family. It just…it made me realize just how unfair they were to me. Then I went through the nice little roller coaster from anger to sadness to confusion to where I am now."

Mikey couldn't help smiling. She was so relaxed, talking about something that should have been entirely disturbing as if it were some mundane topic like the weather or politics. "Where's that?" he asked.

She looked up at him and smiled "Kind of acceptance?"

"Kind of acceptance," he repeated, then laughed. "Is there such a thing as kind of acceptance?"

"Sure," she answered brightly. "What about you, Mikey? How did you guys learn everything you know?"

Mikey finished off his food and pushed his plate away, then leaned back in his chair. Stretching his legs out, he hooked one ankle over the other. "Oh, between Splinter and Donny, we were pretty covered. Donny's a total brainiac. Math, Science, Geography…you name it, he knows it. And Splinter…well, he's our dad. He raised us, taught us manners...well, tried to teach us manners. When we got older he taught us the ways of Ninjitsu and Bushido. And of course, there's always good ol' television. Learned a lot from that."

"What a fine educational tool," Nadia mused, still working on her food. "It sounds like you had a very interesting upbringing."

"Oh, I could tell you stories, babe."

Nadia smiled, taking her plate and his and brining them to the kitchen. They clattered loudly in the sink, joined shortly after by the sound of running water as she rinsed them off. "You're okay with microwave popcorn, right?" she called over her shoulder as she moved about the kitchen – turning off the tap, pulling a box of popcorn from the cupboard and taking two packages out. "That's not something I really go all out on."

"Hm, depends." He stood and moved over to peruse her collection of movies. "We talkin' low carb, regular or Movie Theater?"

"Movie Theater. I'm not exactly watching my weight at this point."

"I suppose there's not much of a point to that, huh." He ran his finger over the top row of DVD's, mentally disregarding each title he passed over. The second shelf didn't show much promise for anything low-thrill either. The girl may not have known much about the horror genre, but every movie he'd passed over so far was classic horror, the kind that would give you nightmares or at least have you checking your closet and under your bed before turning the lights out. It was five DVD's into the third shelf that he stopped, nearly choking on a sudden bout of laughter. La Casa del Terror – old, lame, and totally perfect for initiating a horror genre newbie. "I think we have a winner!" he called over his shoulder, pulling the case from the shelf. "Ooh, the all Spanish version. I may need a translator."

"Which one did you pick?" Nadia asked as she joined him in the living room area, setting down a huge bowl loaded with popcorn on the table along with a soda and a bottle of water. She plopped down on the couch, watching as he put the DVD in, then sat down beside her.

"La Casa del Terror," he said, purposely throwing in an exaggerated roll of the r's and causing her nose to scrunch up.

"I'm not going to regret this, am I?" she asked as she handed him the remote.

He gave her a lopsided grin and pressed play. "Guess we'll see."

Not even twenty minutes in, and they both realized that they were never going to get through the movie.

"This is wrong! This is so wrong!" Nadia barely managed between uncontrollable fits of laughter. "Why did I buy this?!"

Mikey chuckled, more amused by her laughter than the movie. "No clue babe. Concentrate! You're supposed to be translating this for me!"

Nadia's giggles tapered marginally and she tossed a handful of popcorn at him. "I figured it was a safe one being that it's older than me. I didn't know tame would equal lame or that they would do so wrong by my heritage!."

"Nice." Pushing himself up, Mikey went to the DVD case and pursued the selection for something with a little more promise. Idle Hands caught his attention and his grin widened. A horror movie laced with sick humor was only marginally better than a horror movie with no redeeming qualities. He liked Idle Hands though. Loner guy goes after exotic girl and ends up with wandering hands that more often than not did a lot of damage. Sounded familiar…aside from the wandering hands thing. Not that he would mind…

He bit back a chuckle, and turned to face Nadia, holding up the DVD for her approval. "Better?"

She shifted on the couch, drawing her feet up beneath her and crossing her legs. Her shirt had slipped away from her shoulder slightly, baring the deeply tanned skin. "I don't know. Is it?" she asked before popping a handful of popcorn in her mouth instead of at him this time.

Mikey swallowed hard, wondering what her skin would feel like under his fingers. It was probably insanely soft. It looked insanely soft. She seemed to sense the direction of his gaze and glanced down. A delicate hand lifted, fingers tugging ever-so-slightly at the thin string of the tank top she wore underneath and adjusting it. Michelangelo's mouth went as dry as the Sahara. When she tugged the shoulder of her sweatshirt back up, he had to bite back a wild cry of denial. There was no fairness in this situation. Not that there ever had been. But he had optimistically hoped to catch one break and each tiny thing she did to right what was so tempting and blatantly wrong was like having a huge, flashing "dead end" sign slapped up right in front of him.

Stifling a sigh, he switched out the DVD's, then rejoined Nadia on the couch. She grinned impishly at him and held out the popcorn bowl.

"Thanks," he said, taking the offering and settling back. "Now, this isn't classic horror. This is like…dark humor horror. Well, not that dark. Kinda like a…I dunno…horror parody?"

Nadia chuckled at the perplexed face he was making and shimmied a little further into the couch, kicking one leg out and resting her foot on the ledge of the coffee table. "Horror parody I think I can handle. No more Casa del Terror, though." She paused, gave him a severe look and added, "Ever!"

"Deal," he said, laughing. "Just in case I get the wild urge to sit down and watch it…you know, to make sure my knowledge of the horror genre is well rounded, you should probably teach me some Spanish just so I know what I'm talking about."

Nadia pulled her gaze from the television. She had managed to gain control of her giggles, but her eyes still sparkled merrily. It was nice to see her relaxed and content. He had started seriously worrying that the girl may have been entirely incapable of calming down for more than a three minute stretch. She was always so wound up, so tense…so afraid.

"What would you like to learn?" she asked.

Mikey could have sworn there was a teasing lilt to her voice, one that made his insides melt and his heart pound rapidly against his ribs. He managed a shrug, though at this point he had no idea how his brain had managed to communicate that simple movement to his limbs. "I dunno…something easy."

Nadia lifted her hand and tapped her chin, pursing her lips enough to drive him even further over the edge of sanity. He needed a white flag…a big one. One he could wave in front of her face frantically. _I give up! I can't take it. You're too hot!_

"Okay, easy. How about good morning and goodnight?"

"Sure."

"Buenos dias is good morning."

"Buenos dias," he tried, silently congratulating himself for not tripping over the simple words. The only thing more maddeningly beautiful than Nadia…was Nadia speaking Spanish.

She smiled and nodded. "Perfect. Now, goodnight is Buenos noches."

"Buenos…" Mikey paused and shook his head. "Nope, can't do it."

"Sure you can," Nadia encouraged, turning to face him and patting his leg. It was a gesture meant to console him, to cheer him on, and yet the only thing it managed to do was cause his pulse to race faster.

"Oh, I can say it. I just…can't listen to you speak Spanish anymore," he muttered, looking down sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck. "If I hear one more Spanish word out of your mouth…I swear, Nadi…I'm going to kiss you."

He didn't have to see her to gauge her reaction. He heard her sharp intake of breath, felt her go tense. It was painfully silent and for a brief moment he thought about making a run for it. The damage was done. Why stick around to see how much worse it got? But then she spoke.

"Quiero que me beses," she murmured – so soft, so simple. He had no idea what she had said, but he knew what she'd meant by saying it.

His head jerked up, his eyes locking on hers. His anxiety was mirrored in the liquid chocolate depths. So much so, that he almost started to talk himself out of it. But she was giving him the invitation and he could just faintly make out a trace of longing underneath the nerves. It was that tiny trace that had him reaching out, had him delicately brushing back the thick, wavy curl that had been taunting him all evening and tucking it behind her ear.

He leaned close and rested his forehead against hers, surprised when she didn't tense. "You're actually gonna let me do this, huh?" he asked, his mouth turning up at the corner.

She made a humming noise of approval. Her eyes were fixated on him - watching, waiting, making note of even the smallest move. She was still afraid. Her breath came out soft and staggered, brushing warmly over his neck. The hand still lying on his knee trembled.

He murmured her name and brushed his larger nose against hers, nudging her face upward. Her tongue darted out, whetting her full lips. The action, although entirely innocent, caused Mikey's stomach to twist and lust to surge up almost viciously. He drew in a deep breath and focused on, of all things, his training. He was trained in Ninjitsu - he could be calm, he could be centered. One indulgent brush of his mouth against hers though, and he quickly realized that he was very wrong.

Groaning, he swept his hand into the thick mass of her hair, then slanted his mouth over hers, capturing her startled gasp and taking advantage of her lips when they parted. He expected her to balk, especially when her hands settled against his chest as if she were preparing to push him away. Instead, she moaned, tilting her head back, opening her mouth further, inviting him to take as he wanted to. Her hands slid up and around his neck. She drew him closer, sagging against him, tilting her head so that it almost rested against his shoulder.

Mikey circled her waist with one arm. The hand of the other dropped to her shoulder. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip and he shuddered, deepening the kiss. He knew he was being greedy, but in all honesty, he didn't care. She wasn't doing anything that told him not to. If anything, she was doing the exact opposite, arching her back, pressing herself more firmly against him, lifting her leg and draping it over his. Every single move she made screamed of acceptance.

Mindless, he broke the kiss and nuzzled her neck, smiling when she gasped and nails bit into his shoulders. The hand on her shoulder tugged impatiently at her shirt, trying to get to that skin that had been tempting him all evening, to feel just how soft it was. Once exposed, he lowered his mouth, eager to taste and tease. His teeth delicately scraped her skin and she shivered, whimpering.

"You're skin's so soft," he murmured, nuzzling her affectionately and nipping at her shoulder again. "I just needed to taste it. I need-."

She suddenly jerked back, forcefully enough to put more than two feet of space between them. She stared at him wildly, like a caged animal that had been ripped brutally from the wild. Her hair hung in ringlets over her face. She gasped for breath, her hands fisting into the fabric of the couch.

"Nadia…what?" Mikey asked, trying to catch his own breath and regain his sense of balance. "What's wrong?"

"No quiero que me necesite nadie ni ahora ni nunca!" she rattled, now wringing her hands nervously in her lap. "No puedo hacer esto!"

"Okay, okay," Mikey said, keeping his voice low. Now would be a really good time to know what the heck she was saying. "It's okay, Nadia. Calm down."

She shook her head, tears filling her eyes and spilling over, rushing down her flushed cheeks. He hated those tears. "I'm sorry. Michelangelo…I'm so sorry. Victor-."

The mention of the name made his blood run molten hot through his veins. Victor…the one responsible for all of this – for leaving her a single mother, for destroying her confidence, for making her fear intimacy on any level. For making her afraid to be needed.

"I'm not Victor," he said, the words holding much more bite than he had intended them to. He was suddenly too angry to think straight. "I think I'd better go," he muttered, standing up and forcefully yanking the hood of his sweatshirt up.

"No!" Nadia immediately reached for him and he paused, staring down at her, his emotions at war with one another. He couldn't stay. He didn't want to. He didn't want to be the guy who reminded her of the jerk before him.

"I can't stay Nadia." He smiled sadly and grasped her hand. It was a lifeline to the one thing he wanted so badly. To the one thing he was about to let go. "This doesn't mean I'm gonna stop liking you and wanting you. I just…I want you too bad to stay right now and be okay with just sitting here, watching a movie and pretending _that _didn't just happen."

Against his better judgment, he reigned in his desire and leaned over, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. They were back to playing safety zones again where kisses were chaste and touches were nothing more than friendly. "I'll be better tomorrow, I promise."

Her hand tightened around his. "I wish I could promise the same thing," she whispered miserably.

He hunkered down a little and gave her an encouraging smile. "We'll get there." He brushed her hair out of her face with his free hand, wincing as lust clawed for release. No, he definitely could not stay. He wanted her too badly right now and he needed to get away from her before he scared her again. Strange, he was used to people being afraid of him for what he was, not what he did.

He straightened again and gave her hand one final squeeze before releasing it, diligently ignoring the unspoken plea in her eyes. "I'll see you later."

He resisted the need to sprint to the door, taking his time in leaving and closing the door softly behind him. Once out in the hallway, he leaned back against the wall. He tried to sort out his emotions – hurt, want, pure rage. They were dancing merrily around inside of him, jerking him this way and that without a care. He swore softly and screwed his eyes shut.

"Rough night?"

Mikey opened his eyes and turned his head slowly to the side, keeping it rested against the wall. He watched Raph approach without a word, knowing he would understand without an explanation. As his brother neared, his eyes narrowed speculatively. It only took a split-second for realization to sink in.

"Was thinkin' about jumpin' some roof-tops," Raph said, stopping in front of him. "You in?"

"Yeah." Mikey nodded, shoving away from the wall. "Yeah, I am."

Translations:

No quiero que me necesite nadie ni ahora ni nunca! - I don't want anyone to need me again now or ever!

No puedo hacer esto - I can't do this


	10. Labor Pains

**A/N:** Okay, I know this took forever to update and I'm truly sorry for that. My me time has been seriously limited now that summer is here with play dates, graduations, weddings, the list goes on and on. Thanks to those of you how have hung on! I really appreciate it!

Huge thanks to Echohunter for the quick beta and input on the ending. You are my rockstar woman! And Mikell, thanks for trying hun. I know you've been busy too but I still love ya and appreciate you letting me know your thoughts.

Another huge thank you to my dearest friend Christy for helping me out with the translation. What would I do without you honey!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic. Alex and Nadia however are OC's of mine.

**Chapter Ten: Labor Pains**

The knock at the door came earlier than expected. Sitting on the couch, making her way efficiently through the fifth box of Kleenex that week (or was it sixth…she'd lost track) Nadia startled, whipping around to stare wide-eyed at the door as if she expected a dragon or some mythical terrifying creature to come strolling through. She knew it was only Alex though. The two had made a habit of getting together for breakfast and coffee every morning. Each and every one of those mornings, Nadia had woke up crying from the same pitiful dream – Michelangelo reaching out to her, promising her a life of happiness and love and Victor holding her back, his arms tightening around her like steel bands, confining her to misery and contempt. His leering grin and frantic, feverish dark eyes were always the last thing she saw when she jerked up in bed, breathing heavily, her face stained with tears.

She hadn't managed to shrug off the image of Victor before Alex was there, knocking at her door. Cursing softly, Nadia stood and scrubbed at her cheeks. She fixed a smile on her face and pulled the door open. "Hey Alex! You're early. I haven't had a chance to make coffee yet."

Alex's eyes narrowed immediately. Nadia steeled herself for an interrogation. In all honesty, she was surprised it had taken all week for it to happen. Alex had been almost suspiciously quiet about anything related to Michelangelo. She had instead focused on Nadia and getting to know her. It seemed innocent enough at first. They were, after all, new to the friendship scenario.

By Wednesday, when Alex did not bring up Michelangelo and Nadia was facing the third day of not hearing from him, she started to get antsy. The feelings of fear, confusion and sadness pushed at her to ask about him, to tell Alex what had happened between them. But for some unknown reason, she always held back. It was almost as if she was afraid to hear about Michelangelo, afraid to hear that he may have given up on her, decided he was better off without her. She hadn't wanted him to need her, and yet she had become painfully aware of the fact that she did need him.

"You know," Alex started, walking into her apartment and closing the door behind her. "I've been having a hard time _not_ saying anything all week and have congratulated myself numerous times for not being all nosey." She turned to face Nadia. "Here's the plan. You go sit down on the couch, I'll make coffee, and we'll talk. Sound good?"

Nadia nodded meekly, not knowing what else to do. She wanted an outlet. She wanted to talk to someone about what she was feeling and have help figuring out why. She didn't want to be lost anymore. But she didn't know if speaking to Alex about her brother-in-law was safe, either. She went to the couch, sinking into it with a weary sigh. Hot tears insistently pricked her eyes again and she ducked her head, reaching for the Kleenex.

As she listened to Alex move about the kitchen – the sound of running tap water accompanying the whispering creek of cabinet doors opening and closing and the rustle of coffee filters – her brain worked over everything she could say without sounding offensive. Or worse…whiney. Or even worse…desperate.

The shuffle of feet alerted her to Alex approaching and she scrubbed quickly at the offensive tears out of habit. She knew there was no point to trying to hide the fact that she was crying and yet she couldn't seem to stop herself from trying.

"Thanks," she murmured, accepting the mug Alex handed her and wrapping her hands around it.

"What happened?"

It was a simple question…two words. And yet the force of them hit her like sledge hammer to the gut. She bit down hard on her bottom lip and shook her head. "I don't know," she muttered miserably. "Michelangelo came over the other night and we were having such a good time. He helped me cook, we watched a movie. He's so easy to talk to. I was teaching him some Spanish phrases and then…then we kissed." The last word came out a breathless whisper and she closed her eyes, the memory of that moment replaying in her mind. He'd been so sweet and it had felt so good to be held by him.

"He told me that he needed to…" She shook her head. "He used that word. _Need."_

A look of confusion flitted across Alex's face. "You're going to have to explain that one to me."

"Victor," Nadia started slowly after swallowing the fear that slammed into her with the mere mention of the name. "The baby's father. He always told me that he needed me. And it was never…it wasn't…it wasn't a good kind of need. You see he was…he was married and had two children. But he would come over and he would tell me how much he needed me and he was always so frantic. At first I comforted him, tried to tell him how much is wife and children needed him, how much they loved him and how it was wrong for him to come to me.

"Then one night he showed up. My mom and dad were away at a city meeting. Victor was drunk. I opened the door and…and his eyes were nearly red, they were so blood shot. He told me again that he needed me but the way he said it-."

Nadia closed her eyes and concentrated on steadying her breathing. "It scared me. And he just kept saying it, over and over. I told him no and told him to go back to his wife. He wouldn't listen. He just kept…_stalking_ me, telling me he needed me, that I was driving him insane. Then he…then he pulled out his pocket knife, pushed up his sleeves and started cutting his arms with it, telling me I was driving him to it. He said if he couldn't have me, he would keep cutting himself to deal with the pain of wanting me."

"Oh my God, Nadia," Alex breathed, her horrified gaze fixed on the younger woman.

"I didn't know what else to do. So I let him have me. I was so afraid that he would end up killing himself if I didn't."

Alex nodded, reaching out to take Nadia's hand.

Nadia pulled herself together, her features hardening. "I shouldn't have let him."

"Maybe you shouldn't have," Alex said, then rushed on when Nadia flinched away from her. "But you were scared and some psychopath was forcing you into a situation and…jeez, Nadia. I don't know how I would have handled that. What he did to you wasn't right. He took advantage of you; he forced you to be with him by making you think he was going to kill himself. The guy sounds like a total lunatic. It takes a lot of courage to face something like that and to do what you did."

Nadia scoffed, brushing at the tears rolling down her cheeks with her Kleenex. "You mean stupidity."

"No," Alex argued, "I mean courage. You put him first to stop him from hurting himself and made a sacrifice you never should have been forced to make. That's bravery Nadia."

Nadia jerked her head up and down, unable to find the words to respond with. Her chin was quivering and she was mentally cursing herself for not having more control over her emotions.

She heard Alex very quietly say "oh sweetie, come here" and fell into the other woman's arms, no longer holding back. Her body trembled uncontrollably and she was terribly afraid that the sobs would never stop. She'd suffered in silence for so long with on one to talk to, had dealt with the fear and self-criticism of her actions without anyone to talk to.

"You're a very special person, Nadia. I'm sorry there were so many people in your life that didn't see it but we do. Mikey does and he's very lucky to have you."

"But he doesn't have me!" she wailed, clinging to Alex. "I screwed it up! I pushed him away. I just…I don't want to be _needed_ like that again."

Alex moved away from Nadia, gripping her shoulders and staring her directly in the face, her eyes hard. "Nadia, that's not what it's always going to be like. Victor was a nut job and to be quite honest, I think he should be committed. But Mikey isn't him. He would never do something like that to you."

"He'll never forgive me, Alex. Not after what happened."

Alex smiled. "You'd be surprised by how forgiving Mikey is. He likes you Nadia…a lot. Just talk to him. Tell him what you told me. He'll understand."

Nadia sniffled. "You really think so?" she asked, again inwardly cringing at how small and hopeful her voice sounded.

"I know so, sweetie. Give him a chance." She paused, hesitating. "And Nadia…people are going to need you."

"But-."

"Yourbaby," Alex said, quickly cutting her off, "is going to need you. He's needed you since day one."

Nadia released a startled "oh", her eyes going wide.

"Never thought of that one, did you?"

"I…no," the younger woman said, shaking her head.

"See? Not everyone who needs you is going to go about doing so in the crazy, unhealthy way this Victor guy did. And being needed isn't always a bad thing, Nadia. In fact…I need you."

"You do?" she asked, startled by Alex's admission.

"Mhmm. I need you…to come over and do my hair because I'm fat and gross and want to feel good about _something._"

Though it was the last thing she had honestly expected to do all week, Nadia giggled. The giggle soon turned into uncontrollable laughter. "I tell you what," she managed, once her laughter had tapered away, "I'll do your hair _and_ your makeup. How does that sound?"

"Better than pickles and ice-cream!" Alex exclaimed, leaning over and throwing her arms around Nadia and giving her a tight hug.

"Oh no, you're one of those?"

Alex laughed and pulled away. "Unfortunately yes. Okay, so I'll make dinner. Stop by around…say seven?"

"Yeah, sounds good. That'll give me a chance to get a nap in and scrub the 'I've been crying all week' look off my face."

"You can hardly tell." Standing, Alex smiled down at the younger woman. "Everything will be okay, Nadia. Talk to Mikey. Tell him what you told me. I promise you…he'll understand."

"I will. And…thanks again Alex. For everything."

( TMNT - Page Break…because apparently you can't use any symbols anymore….uuuugh!)

Raphael sighed, glancing at his little brother who sat beside him on the couch doing the same thing he had been doing all week. Not talking and, for the lack of a better word, moping. He'd been spending a lot of time with his little brother this week and had gotten no closer to understanding what had happened between Mikey and Nadia than he had been the night he'd found him standing in the hallway. What he knew was simple – Mikey and Nadia had a date go wrong, Nadia had some crazy skeletons in her closet, and Mikey was currently backing off because of those skeletons. Raph could understand the caution his younger brother was exercising, but this moodiness and unwillingness to talk was driving him crazy.

"Mikey-."

"For the millionth time, Raph," the youngest interrupted, not bothering to look away from the television. "I'm fine."

"You know what," Raph muttered irritabley, "I'm not buyin' it anymore. You're not fine. If you were fine you'd be playin' video games or tearin' up the sewers on your skateboard. You're mopin' Mikey and its startin' to get irritatin'. No, scratch that, it was irritatin' Wednesday. Now I'm just sick and tired of dealin' with it."

"No one told you that you had to Raph," Mikey said with a sad smile. "I appreciate it. But you don't need to sit here and keep me company."

"Someone's gotta," Raph muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling.

Mikey finally took a moment to look away from the TV, laughing at his brother's expression. "Raph, seriously…go home. You've been hoverin' over me like crazy for a week now. I'm not depressed, I'm not suicidal…I'm just trying to work things out and give her space. She freaked out so bad," his voice trailed off and he looked down, shaking his head. "I don't want to be the reason she does that ever again."

Raph gritted his teeth, hardly managing to keep his thoughts on what Nadia had done to Mikey from spilling out. He wasn't too happy with the girl. She was the reason for this very un-Mikey shell of his brother wandering around. He'd been forcing himself all week to _not_ knock on Nadia's door and let him know exactly what he thought of her, skeletons be damned. At this point he really didn't care how bad her past was. All he cared about right now was how much his brother was hurting.

"Raph…just go home, man."

He glanced up at his little brother, not really surprised to see the tired, accepting look on his face. Even at his worst, Mikey could still manage a smile.

"Alex is gonna be having her baby soon. You should be with her, not hangin' around me like I'm gonna…I dunno…kill myself or something."

Raph gave him a look and Mikey rolled his eyes with an exasperated groan. "Dude, seriously? I would never do something like that and you know it. Go! Bug you're wife. I love ya, Bro but I can handle this on my own."

He hesitated but he knew Michelangelo was right. The decision to come to the lair day after day for the past week had left Raph with some substantial feelings of anxiety. Alex was due to go any day and although she claimed she felt just fine, he knew something was up. She would try to turn away from him and hide her discomfort but he could feel her tension from across the room. His worry for his youngest brother had nagged at him though and he'd given into it, day after day, telling Alex to call him if anything, anything happened while he was gone. And every day he'd gotten the same thing – Alex smiling sweetly, waving him off while she dug into her random snack of choice for that time of day. Sometimes just catching a glimpse of what she had created was enough to make him more than happy to leave. But that anxiety always returned to wrap itself around him.

After stalling for a few more minutes, Raph pushed himself up from the couch, then clapped a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "You need anythin'-."

"Yeah…I know Raph." The youngest offered him that same off-smile he'd worn all weak, the one that didn't convince any of them. "Tell Alex I say hi."

"I will Mikey."

Feeling tired, defeated and more than a little frustrated, Raph shrugged into his winter coat, slid his shoes on and made his way out of the Lair towards home. Alone with his thoughts he found his frustration quickly mounting into unadulterated agitation. He was pissed at Nadia. Not mad, not upset…he was flat out pissed. This little chick came bustin' into his brother's life playing the whole "pity me, my life is so terrible" game and strung him along like he was nothing more than some freakin' puppet.

By the time Raph pushed through the front door of the apartment building he and Alex lived in, he had worked himself into simmering rage – one he had every intention of drowning with a beer and an hour of Sports Center. He jerked his keys out of his pocket with more force than necessary and let himself into the apartment. Not even one step over the threshold and he was stumbling to a stop.

Alex was sitting on one of the barstools by the island in the kitchen. Her hands rested on her stomach and she was chattering away happily…to Nadia. Raph's hand tightened dangerously around the doorknob as he watched the younger woman smile and sweep up a strand of Alex's hair. She smiled a she worked – a smile that lit up her entire face. Her movements were light, unburdened by the weight that haunted his little brother. But it was that smile…that damn smile that got to him the most. How could she smile like that when his little brother was sitting at home…a freakin' shadow of his former self and all because of her?

Slamming the door and drawing startled glances from both women, Raph made his way to the fridge, jerked the door open and grabbed a beer from the bottom shelf. He nearly tore the top off, tossing it into the sink then turned and leaned back against the counter, fixing his accusing glare on Nadia.

It would probably have been a lot more affective if she was looking at him though. Alex was. Her brows lowered in concern. "Hey hon!" she greeted with feigned exuberance and then mouthed " Are you okay?"

He nodded once before lifting his drink and taking a long swig.

"How's everything at home?" Alex asked, her gaze flitting to Nadia quickly before settling back on him.

"S'fine."

"How's Michelangelo," Nadia asked, meeting his eyes timidly.

He couldn't help it. There was too much aggression teemed with the need for justice on behalf of his little brother jerking him around for him to stop himself from what he said next. "Why would you care?"

"Raph!"

His wife's outraged cry barely registered. He was too focused on Nadia's reaction – that stunned, wounded puppy expression that he doubted even held a hint of sincerity. "Would it make ya feel pretty good to know he's been sittin' at home too depressed to do much of anythin' but stare at the damn TV? Make ya happy to be over here, smilin' and havin' a great time while my little brother's feelin' like he's had his damn heart ripped out, does it?"

"Raph stop it!"

"It's okay," Nadia murmured, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder to stop her from getting up. She turned then to face Raph, her full lips set in a firm line. "No, it doesn't make me happy to hear that."

"Yeah, I bet it doesn't," Raph scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I see you for exactly what ya are, Nadia – a selfish, self-absorbed brat with some sob story to rake in any willing guy who'll listen to ya for more than a few minutes!" Alex called out to him again but Raphael was too angry and frustrated to listen. "Lemme know if any of this is hittin' close to home."

Nadia moved quickly, closing the space between them and shoving him. Raph looked down at her hands, then slowly lifted his gaze to her, arching a brow. His expression clearly told her that he was not impressed.

"You have no idea who I am or what I've been through. You have _no_ idea what happened between me and your brother!"

"I don't need to know what happened," Raph yelled back, getting right in her face.

"You guys, please," Alex pleaded, her voice strained.

"The only thing I need to know," Raph continued, unintentionally ignoring his wife. "All I need to know is that you're puttin' my little brother through hell and you really don't seem to care! But you know what? You're not good enough for him anyway!"

Nadia released a frustrated shriek that finally managed to make him retreat a step with the sheer volume of it. "Idiota! No tienes ninguna idea de lo que soy ni lo que me ha pasado. No tienes derecho a juzgarme! Y no tienes derecho a decirme que no soy bastante buena para tu hermano!"

"Stop yellin' at me in a different language!" Raph shouted.

"Guys," Alex pleaded again. "Please…just stop."

"Alex, you're really gonna sit back and let this brat-." His voice immediately died off when he tore his gaze from Nadia to finally look at his wife. She stood to the side, gripping the counter with white knuckles. Her features were drawn, her eyes glazed and she was hunched over slightly, one hand resting low on her stomach. "Alex?"

"No offense guys," she managed through her labored breathing, "but I think your arguing just put me over that nice little stress line straight into baby having time."

Raph swore, going straight from anger to blind panic. "Babe, are you sure?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes and groaned as she doubled over and cringed, resting her head on her forearm as she waited out the pain. "Oh yeah."

He swore again, then pushed past Nadia and was at Alex's side. "Tell me what to do. Babe, I uh…you gotta tell me what to do."

"Raph, you already said that. Just…" She drug in a pained gasp and grabbed his arms, her nails digging in hard enough deep, crescent shaped gouges in his skin, "I don't know. This wasn't supposed to happen yet."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean? Raph felt a foreboding cold sweep over him. "Do you need me to call Donnie? I should call Donnie." Raph head swung around to scan the counter and then the living room for his cell phone

Alex quickly shook her head. "No…no, don't call Donnie. It's okay."

"Alex, Donnie's gonna know what to do a hell of a lot better than we are. Let me call him."

No!" Alex shouted, scaring Raph from his near-crazed search of the room. "Not Donnie…just," She shook her head. What could Donnie do for her at this point that the hospital couldn't? "Call the hospital. I need to go to the hospital."

Sensing the escalating panic in the room, Nadia did her best to remain calm and get the couple in a similar state. "Okay. Everyone just relax for a minute," she instructed softly, taking Alex's arm. "This is what we're going to do. Raph, you're going to call a cab. Alex, we're going to go pack you a bag quick while we're waiting, then we're going to get you to the hospital, okay?"

"Yes. That's what I want," Alex said, nodding. "That sounds good."

Nadia offered her a patient smile then turned to look at Raph, forgetting all about their argument when she saw the terrified look on his face. "Raph," she entreated softly.

"Huh?"

"Go call a cab. Everything is going to be okay."

"Yeah…cab," he muttered.

When he didn't move immediately, Nadia reached out and lightly touched his shoulder. "Raph, it's going to be okay but I need you to call that cab, alright?"

Raph's eyes focused as he finally pulled himself together. His hands moved to his pocket to retrieve the phone and when he flipped it open, Nadia knew he would be fine. _Time to concentrate on the mommy._As he dialed, Nadia guided Alex to her bedroom, keeping her occupied with constant conversation while they packed her hospital bag. Raph came to inform them a cab would be outside in five minutes and in no time they were ready.

Barging into the room, Raphael picked up the hospital bag and walked out the door, slamming it behind him all the while leaving a gaping Alex on the bed and Nadia who knelt in front of her to help put her shoes on. She didn't know where it came from but Nadia chuckled when the frazzled turtle walked back in the door with a look of horror on his face. "Alex…"

He dropped the bag by the door, walked to the bed and lifted his wife's arm. "Come on babe, we gotta get you to the cab." When he squatted a bit and snuck an arm around her back, Alex pushed his shoulder away.

"Don't even think about it, buddy. I am…" Alex bent over and concentrated on breathing when another contraction hit. When it passed she added, "walking."

"But you're in pain," he said.

Alex could clearly see the stress her husband was under and did not want to add to it physically. "Wrap your arm around my waist and help me walk." Raphael listened without protest and wrapped one arm around his wife's waist while holding the hand of the arm across his shoulder.

"I gotcha babe, are you sure you can walk? I can carry you if it hurts-"

"I'm walking, Raphael Hamato." Alex glared him into submission and ever so carefully Raphael led his wife through the door and walked out, totally forgetting about the door and the bag.

Nadia watched the scene and felt her heart clench in lovely jealousy that her new friend had found someone who loved her as much as Raph did. Granted he was a giant mutated turtle. It was that moment that Nadia realized she too had a giant turtle, one who was kind and just as loving and had a way more pleasant personality than the one she just fought with in the kitchen.

Guilt ate at her as the memory of Raph's words came slithering back and she made up her mind. After Alex had her baby, she definitely owed Mikey an explanation. Even if she had to cross genetic lines, Nadia knew that the love she saw tonight was something she wanted more than anything and she hoped that Michaelangelo was just as Alex said, forgiving enough to allow her a second chance.

Nadia dug through the fridge for the 100% fruit juice Alex kept, knowing the woman would need fluids and energy. With everything packed into the bag, Nadia closed the door and jogged carefully down the stairway to the street where Raph was helping Alex step into the cab.

"I'll call you the second we get to the hospital," Nadia promised. It was then thatRaphael realized he wouldn't be going with them. His eyes latched onto his wife's glazed ones. He leaned down to kiss his wife. "I love you babe, good luck. You'll do great."

Alex was far more emotional in her goodbye, throwing her arms around Raph's neck and sobbing openly against his neck.

"I'll be okay, baby," Raph murmured, running his hand over her back in a calming motion. "You're gonna do fine."

"I know," she muttered, her voice muffled against this fabric of his sweatshirt. "I just wish you could be there."

He pulled back,hiding the despair he felt from not being able to be in such a public place to support his wife and instead forced an encouraging grin. "I know ya do, babe. But Nadia's gonna be with you and she's gonna keep me posted, okay?"

Alex nodded, then pressed her lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you too babe. Make me proud."

She flashed him a smile. "I will."

Nadia assured Raph again that she would take good care of Alex and keep him updated on the situation before shutting the door. As the cab pulled away, Raph saw Alex look back at him and offer a tiny, forlorn wave. His heart sank. Why did he have to be a mutant turtle right now and why did it matter? He lifted a hand, waving one last wave to his wife and soon-to-be-born daughter that had to be out of the comfort of his arms and was happy that little Sophia would look like her mother so she never had to endure this pain of separation.

When the cab was out of sight, Raphael grimaced and searched his pockets for his cell. Within a few seconds, Mikey, the last person he talked to other than the cab dispatch answered.

"Raph?"

"Hey Uncle Mikey. Ya feel like keepin' me company while Alex is out havin' a baby?"

Translation:

Idiot! You don't have any idea who I am or what I have been through. You don't have the right to judge me! And you don't have the right to tell me that I am not good enough for your brother.


	11. Forgiveness

**A/N: **Hey and hi to all! Hope you've all had a fantastic 4th of July and as always, sorry for how long this took! Big thanks go out to Diva Danni for being my beta this round. Appreciate it honey!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TMNT and make no money from the writing of this fic. I also do not own Gretchen Wilson or any of her music.

**Forgiveness**

"Okay, this officially sucks a lot more than I thought it would."

Nadia looked up from the magazine she was paging through, expecting Alex to be on the verge of another contraction. The blonde was, however, looking more disgruntled than anything. "What sucks?"

"Not having Raph here," Alex muttered. "I thought it would be easy. Piece of cake. Deliver the baby, stay a day or two, go home and have family fun time. I didn't think I would need..." Pain contorted her features and she stopped speaking to draw in a slow, shaky breath. "Nadia?" she pleaded.

"Right here." Nadia hastily dropped her magazine and moved to Alex's bed, sinking down beside her as she gripped the other woman's hand. "You're doing great, Alex."  
Alex managed a few jerky nods, her gaze focused at the foot of the bed as she slowly breathed in and out.

Once the contraction had passed, Alex dropped her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes tightly. "They're getting a lot stronger."

"Maybe that means you won't be at it for long," Nadia suggested with an encouraging smile.

"One can hope." Turning her head to the side, Alex looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a non-too-impressive view of the neighboring buildings and sighed. "I feel like he's getting cheated," she murmured softly. "This is his baby too. He should be here. Or I should have listened to him and let Donnie take over. It doesn't feel right that I'm lying here and he's at home, not able to do anything but wait." She added with an indulgent smile, "In case you haven't noticed, Raph really doesn't do the whole patience thing that well."

"No kidding," Nadia said, able to keep a straight face but unable to keep the amusement from her voice.

Alex laughed and folded her hands over her stomach. "This is probably driving him completely insane."

Nadia nodded, choosing not to comment. She knew it was driving Raph insane. From the few conversations they'd had and the ongoing texting that had taken place over the past five hours, she could easily tell that whatever patience he _did_ posses was precariously close to snapping. He seemed to have calmed minimally over the last hour which she was willing to bet was mostly due to the fact that his brothers and their friends April and Casey were over at the apartment offering their support. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to call over there and ask to talk to someone else just to see how Raph was really holding up.

"I'm going to duck out in the hallway and make a quick call, okay? Don't go having any contractions while I'm gone," she said, standing and taking her cell phone from the bedside table.

Alex gave her a wry grin. "You've got five minutes."

Nadia laughed and started to make her way to the door, tapping the touch-screen of her phone to bring up her contacts. As she scrolled to the bottom her hand stilled as a sudden thought hit her. She whirled, the intention of calling anyone quickly forgotten. "Alex, does anyone at your place have a phone that can receive video?"

"Yeah. Donnie and April do. Why?"

Nadia's face lit up. "I just had the best idea!"

**XXX**

"Eat something."

Raph looked up at April who was leaning over the edge of the couch with a plate of Chinese take-out in her hand. He took it without question mostly due to the fact that when he hesitated even for a second, she arched a brow that clearly said, "Either you eat or I shove it down your throat."

Clearly mollified that she'd done her part to take care of him, April moved on to his brothers. They were scattered throughout the apartment – Michelangelo sprawled in Alex's chair with a bowl of Doritos, Leonardo sitting at the dining room table with Donatello. They each had a coffee cup in front of them, though Raph was sure that only Donnie's actually had coffee in it. Casey was sitting on the other end of the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table as he flipped through channels. He grinned up at April as she set a plate of food in his lap, thanked her and grabbed her hand to give it a quick kiss before she slipped off. At any other time Raph would have taken the opportunity to make a smart remark to his long-time friend but right now…he was having a hard time concentrating on much of anything.

He wished he could be as calm as everyone else seemed to be. Even relaxing for a few minutes seemed like an impossible task. He was constantly checking his phone, twitching, fidgeting – and in all honestly he was surprised he hadn't driven anyone crazy yet. They were sure as hell going to drive him crazy though. One more "Easy there, Dad. Everything's fine" and he was going to end up pounding someone's head in, family or not. Add in the fact that he hadn't heard one word from Nadia on Alex in over an hour and you had one pissed off ninja turtle on your hands.

He knew he shouldn't have trusted her. Leaving Alex in Nadia's care hadn't been something he'd actually wanted to do at all but he'd been left with little choice on the matter. The conniving little brat was probably going to let him sit and wonder what was going on until Alex had the baby just to spite him.

Just as he reached for his phone to check it yet again in case he'd missed a text or a call or anything, April's phone rang, blaring the latest Gretchen Wilson release.

"Hello," she answered while handing Mikey a plate of food. A look of confusion crossed her face and she propped her hip on the chair arm. "Yes, this is April O'Neal. Who's this? Oh! Nadia Ram-OH! Hi Nadia!"

Food forgotten, Raph immediately stood and went to April. His heart was hammering unsteadily in his chest and fear crept around the edges of his sanity, slipping tricky silken fingers through what frayed threads remained. "What's going on? What's she saying?"

April waved him off. "Okay. Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that."

Raph swore vividly as he paced the floor beside April. "She had the baby, didn't she? I knew I shouldn't have let her go with Nadia. That little-."

"Watch it Raph," Mikey warned, glaring up at his brother.

"Why?" Raph turned on him, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You gotta problem with me worryin' about the safety of my wife when the person she's with didn't even care enough about you're feelin's to quit jerkin' you around?"

"Bro, how many times do I have to tell you, it's not her fault!"

"You know somethin' Mikey? I really don't care!"

Mikey set his plate on the table and stood. Then he planted his hands on Raph's chest and shoved hard enough to send him staggering back against the couch. "Whatever is going on between me and Nadia is between me and Nadia so stay out of it and quit being the overprotective jerk! I can handle this on my own and I will _not_ sit here and listen to you talk bad about her when you know next to _nothing_ about what she's going through!"

Raph's hands clenched into fists. "When it comes to my family it is my business and I'll be damned if I'm gonna-."

April chose that moment to smoothly slip the phone between the two brothers and Raph immediately stopped advancing on Michelangelo when he saw his wife's smiling face on the screen. His breath caught and emotion welled in his throat.

"Hi baby!" Alex called cheerfully, waving and looking as beautiful as ever even in a simple white hospital gown.

"Alex…how-?"

"Nadia has this newer phone that has a video feed on it. She had this great idea to connect to either Don or April's phone and tada! You get to be here for Sophia's birth! Um…kind of." She paused to laugh and brushed her hair out of her face. "You holding up okay?"

"Yeah," he breathed. He swallowed hard and smiled, quickly taking Casey's vacated spot on the couch. "Yeah, I'm good. How are you? Everythin' goin' okay?"

"I'm great! Much better now. I'm so happy that you get to watch this, Raph! Well, almost all of it. If you think you're goin' anyway around…well, that area at all, you're dead wrong mister."

Raph laughed and settled back against the couch. "Nah, that's alright babe. I'll pass. How are things going?"

"Oh, they're going. It's labor. Not a whole lot to do but sit around waiting for contractions and then use every single focusing technique Leo drilled into my head which f.y.i. I'm running out of ways to stay focused. You should totally tell him that."

"I heard you," Leo replied dryly from behind Raph.

"Leo says hi."

"That didn't sound like a 'hi'. Hi Leo! Love you!" Alex called out, waving enthusiastically.

"Love you too." Leo leaned against the back of the couch, grinning down at the picture of his sister in law on the small screen. "Do I have a niece yet?"

"Workin' on it." Alex patted her still very-much-pregnant stomach. "She's being kind of stubborn."

"I can't imagine where she got that trait from," Leo quipped.

"Har har, you're so-." Alex's voice drifted off as she looked away from the screen. "Oh, hang on guys. The doctor's here. Tell you what, how about we call you back in a few minutes and I'll give you a rundown of the current situation?"

"Sure babe. We'll talk in a bit," Raph said.

"Okay. Love you!"

"Love you too." His finger hovered hesitantly over the disconnect button, then he pressed it and leaned back into the couch, sighing softly.

Mikey joined him and their brief argument came blaring back along with the cold bite of guilt. "Hey…listen-."

"Nah." Mikey cut him off and grinned. "No need, Bro. You're under a lot of stress. I get that."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have said what I did," Raph conceded. "And I'm sorry. You're right. What happened between you and Nadia is between you guys. But…you're my little brother, Mikey. I know we've got our differences, but nothin' changes that. And I'm gonna stick up for you, no matter what the situation. I was just…I was tired of seein' you hurtin'."

"I know Raph. But the thing is…I'm not. I've just been thinking about…about how much I like Nadia and convincing myself to keep hangning on because one day she's gonna break and figure out what I've known all along."

"What's that?" Raph asked, though he didn't need to know the answer. He had known it long ago.

"That we're supposed to be together. We just have to put her past behind her so she can move on and be happy. We can't figure out how to do that until she figures out how to get over it and trust me."

Raph nodded. He was silent for a minute, flipping the phone over in his hands before lifting his head slightly and asking, "That bad?"

"Yeah, Raph. It's that bad. But it's her story to tell."

The older mutant nodded. He understood that. Alex had been enough of a train wreck to teach them all the importance of respecting someone's personal life and knowing when to not ask. He nudged Mikey softly. "Love ya, Bro."

"Love you too, Raph."

The phone lit up and both turtles grinned. "Go for it dad." Mikey stood up, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We'll be right here."

"Thanks Mikey." Before the country music got old, he hit the button to accept the call and felt his heart lighten considerably when Alex's face appeared on the screen. "Hey, what'd the doc say?"

"That we're having a baby."

"What? Now?"

Michelangelo's grin deepened as he watched his older brother quickly unravel. He'd been a wreck before the first phone call had even come in, but this was a different kind of unraveling. The kind that Michelangelo had hoped Raph could experience firsthand, the kind of a soon-to-be father watching his wife give birth. Nadia had given him that.

Lifting a hand to his chest, he rubbed the place where the constant ache that he had affectionately named the "Nadia Ache" had harbored. It was worse now after having seen the lengths she would go to for someone she hardly knew. She had made this day far more special for his brother than any of them could have hoped it would be. And it only made him want her more. It only made the wait that much harder to bear.

Stifling a sigh, Mikey moved to stand by the window. The city was restless below, no doubt. It always was, keeping them on their toes. Tonight he welcomed the distraction. He looked towards his oldest brother, caught his eye and exchanged a look of agreement. Within minutes he had slipped out the window and into the smog laden air of the New York evening.

He gulped in deep breaths of the closest thing to fresh air he could get at the time, trying to ease the panic that was starting to creep over him. It was a new emotion to him, and he could honestly say he didn't like it. But that was all he seemed to be feeling lately – an overwhelming panic that Nadia wouldn't figure things out, that she would stay afraid and he would miss out on a chance to have what Raph had and with someone so amazing that he couldn't get her out of his head even when he tried.

"Would be a good reason to hate the whole panic thing," he muttered.

He rubbed a hand over his face, then turned and slipped his hand around the rung of the iron ladder leading to the rooftop. The city promised an escape, even if it was only a temporary one.

**XXX**

Weary footsteps carried Nadia down the hallway of her apartment complex. It was nearly six in the morning and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so exhausted. It had been a long, emotional day and she was very much looking forward to falling into bed and pulling the comforter over her head. Her only hope was that it would block out the sunlight into well in the afternoon. She was relatively certain she could sleep that long.

Alex had done beautifully through her labor, though the ordeal wasn't without complications. Of course, most of those complications laid in the fact that Alex's epidural had worn off and she spent more time arguing for them to press more pain killers than keep asking her to push. Thank God Raph had stepped in and helped Nadia convince Alex that she should really be focusing on the fact that there were more important things going on at the moment.

With that minor setback out of the way, Alex had zeroed in on what she had to do and an hour later, Sophia Marissa Hamato had made her loud entrance into the world.

Nadia had forced back her discomfort in being involved in something so intimate for the sake of letting Raph get as much of the experience as possible. The reaction of both parents was so touching that she found herself fighting tears as she held the phone over Alex's shoulder to give Raph the best view of his daughter.

But now, with the excitement and euphoria of watching a miracle take place having officially worn off, the only thing that remained, the only emotion her body had any room for, was complete fatigue.

At her front door she paused. She turned to face Alex and Raph's place. Her fight with her friend's husband, regardless of the rushed chaos that had taken place once Alex had started having contractions, was still fresh in her mind. It was still sitting in a bad place and she didn't want it there. It was interfering with her need to sleep. She hesitated only a moment before moving to the door and knocking lightly. As she guessed, Raph was still up. He answered the door looking nowhere near tired.

"Hey," he murmured with a slight incline of his head. He wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning. He looked…content. And she considered that a good thing.

"Hey," she returned. "I think…we should talk."

"Yeah. I think you're right." He stepped aside. "Come on in. Couldn't sleep so I was just ah…um…doin'…somethin'."

Nadia paused in crossing the threshold and arched a brow. "That was quite an awkward sentence."

"Yeah…well," Raph laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "The truth of the last of that sentence is pretty awkward too. I was trying to…I dunno, fold Sophia's clothes. Alex had a basket of 'em layin' on the bed so I figured I'd get it done before she gets home from the hospital. But," he held up his hands and shrugged. "Ain't nothin' ninja about foldin' laundry."

Smiling compassionately, Nadia jerked her head in the direction of the bedroom. "Come on. I'll fold laundry and we can talk."

"You got yourself a deal."

He led the way into the bedroom and when he reached for the basket of clothing, Nadia quickly shooed him away. He grinned, shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed leaving her free to start on the laundry as a welcome distraction from facing him directly. "Congratulations, by the way," she murmured, angling a quick smile at him.

"Thanks. And not just for that…for everything, Nadia. Ya gave me a chance to be a part of somethin' I didn't think I'd get to see at all. And I gave you no reason to want to do somethin' like that for me. I'm sorry…for everything."

"It's okay. Michelangelo's your little brother. I don't blame you for wanting to defend him. I don't have any siblings of my own but I think if I did…I would have done the same thing." She paused for a moment, debating whether or not to press on, then decided that she had nothing to lose. She had everything to gain, Raph's approval included. "I never set out to hurt him. I tried…I tried really hard to forget what happened and just be happy but what happened-."

"I know."

Her hands stilled. "You know," she whispered.

Raph nodded. "Yeah. After you left the hospital, Alex called and told me...everything. She wants you to know that she's sorry, but figured you didn't want to go through it again after such a long night."

Nadia's lips formed the word "oh" but nothing came out. Relief swamped her. She had built herself up to endure the emotional maelstrom of her past yet again, and instead faced overwhelming gratitude.

"You're not mad at her, are ya?"

"No!" Nadia said quickly, shaking her head. She'd never had someone look out for her the way Alex did. She didn't know how to react to such kindness. "She's just been so kind to me. She's such an amazing woman."

"Ya don't have to tell me," Raph murmured with a reflective smile.

"You two have so much love for each other." Nadia set aside the laundry and eased herself down beside Raph, feeling far more comfortable around him now that they seemed to have come to an understanding. "Watching you and Alex…you've both given me hope that I can have more than what I thought I could. I've never known what you two have. I…I want that."

"With Mikey?" Raph asked, though his tone indicated that he knew the answer already.

"Yes," Nadia admitted softly. "He's been so patient with me, so understanding. And he doesn't have to be. He knows everything about my past. Anyone in their right mind would have written me off knowing only half of what he does. He makes me feel like its okay for me to be angry instead of guilty. He makes me feel…like I matter to him."

"You do. Ya know that, right?" Raph turned slightly towards her. "Mikey's got a big heart and when he feels things, he's pretty open about 'em. Ya matter to him. That's why he waits, that's why he understands."

Nadia was quiet for a moment, trying to control her emotions. She could feel the burning sting of tears but did not want to cry them. "He's more than I deserve."

"Nah. You've been through some pretty tough crap, Nadia. You deserve a break. And you deserve to know that real love isn't somethin' you should ever be afraid of. All ya gotta do is let Mikey show ya."

Nadia managed a jerky nod, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth and swallowing hard. She didn't know if she'd be able to say thank you without having it coming out some sobbing mess. So she settled for something a little more personal, figuring that now would be a good time to start letting some walls down. She leaned over and hugged Raph tightly, whispering a faint "thank you" as she squeezed tightly.

"Don't mention it."

His phone rang a moment later and she moved away from him, running her fingers just under her eyes to remove any telltale tears as he answered.

"Hey baby. Yeah, she's here. Good call." He looked up at her, grinning. "We're good. How's Sophia?"

"I'm going to go," she mouthed, pointing to the door.

Raph nodded, mouthing back a quick, "See ya later."

With a light heart and a smile on her face Nadia wandered out of Raph's room, listening to the quiet lull of his voice as he spoke to Alex on the phone. She turned at the doorway to watch him for a moment, melting at the sight of the normally rough and tough Raphael speaking softly to his wife, telling her how much he loved him, how beautiful their daughter was and how he couldn't wait to have them both back home. Whispering goodnight, she pulled the door shut slightly behind her. She had every intention of going home and crawling into bed where she would hopefully fall into a blissful, deep sleep.

She turned and froze, those thoughts were immediately forgotten. There stood Michelangelo, his hands stilled in the process of unzipping his hooded sweatshirt and a stunned look on his face. Nadia's heart shuddered and for one dreadful minute, she was convinced that she had forgotten how to breathe.

"Hey," Michelangelo said softly, breaking the silence. "So, I have a niece, huh?"

She nodded, feeling far to numb to manage any other movement. All of Alex's words from earlier came tumbling back to her, Raph's echoing around them in a confusing ebb and flow.

Michelangelo's eyes shifted to the bedroom door, then back to Nadia. He smiled, rocking back on his heels nervously. "So…how ya been?"

When she felt the burn of tears once again, she almost cursed out loud. The entire over-emotional situation was starting to wear on her last nerve. But she could stop it. She could stop it and embrace her future, forget about her past – turn away from it and never look back. She needed him. She would no longer deny it. She would accept it, starting right now.

Suddenly, she was moving – moving towards him. Every step she took felt more right than the one before. She saw confusion flicker in his eyes, but only briefly. That light that was so Michelangelo, so bright and healing quickly took over, the smile she had missed so much spreading across his face.

With a cry, she threw herself into his arms and her world forcefully righted itself as they closed around her, clutching her close, protecting her. The pain suddenly ceased, the fear and loneliness swept away by whatever it was that Michelangelo made her feel. She couldn't put a label on it yet. But she didn't need to. She just needed him.

"I'm so sorry. I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"I've missed you too, Nadi. Been miserable without you, babe."

Nadia buried her face further against his neck as she nodded. "I know the feeling." She pulled away, looking up at him and hiding nothing. "I was so afraid you'd given up on me."

His smile softened and he brushed her hair away from her face, lowering his forehead and resting it against hers. "I'm never gonna be one of those people who gives up on you, Nadi."

"Promise?" she asked hopefully, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"You bet I do."

"Good." Going up on her tiptoes, Nadia wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, tentatively touching her lips to his mouth. He mimicked her motions, teasing her and she chuckled softly before slanting her mouth over his, swallowing his moan of surrender. Warmth infused her. For the first time in her life she finally felt like she was right where she belonged.

Michelangelo pulled her closer still and she gladly pressed her body against his, needing to feel him, to know he was there and that she wasn't just dreaming. She was drowning in a maelstrom of passion and happiness, gladly being swept away by a man she was sure she would someday love.

"Jeez, you two! You gotta do that in my livin' room? Seriously?"

Breaking away from the kiss, Mikey shot a grin at his older brother, a grin that almost mirrored the one Raph was giving them. "Sorry, Bro. It was her idea."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was. Go get a room and quit rubbin' it in that I ain't gettin' any."

Leaning against Mikey, Nadia blushed furiously but managed to laugh. "Sorry, Raph."

"Yeah, for some reason I doubt that," he muttered, grinning and reaching out to ruffle her hair in a brotherly show of affection. "Get outta here. Mikey, you end up not makin' it home tonight, don't forget to call Fearless and let him know, okay?"

"Will do, Raph. Thanks." Moving away from Nadia, Mikey gave his brother a tight hug. "And congrats man."

"Thanks, Mikey."

Mikey moved away from his brother, clapped him once on the shoulder, then took Nadia's hand and lead her out of the apartment and across the hall to hers. He waited patiently, his hands resting comfortably on her hips as she dug through her purse to find her keys and unlocked the door. He couldn't seem to not have at least one hand on her. He thought she'd slipped away once and wasn't willing to let it happen again. Once inside, Nadia turned to face him, her arms going around his neck. He lazily draped his around her waist, nuzzling her neck, smiling when he heard a tiny sigh escape her.

"You're staying here?" she asked.

Mikey shivered as her fingers brushed over his shoulders, the tips playing along the edge of his carapace. "Do you want me to?"

She hummed and nodded her head, a lazy smile playing over her full lips. "I do."

"Hey Nadi." He brushed his mouth against hers indulgently, reveling in the feel of his heart racing a bit more every time he did so. "Wanna be my girlfriend?"

"Do you even have to ask?" she murmured, moving out of his arms, taking his hands and tugging him towards her room.

"You gonna give me an answer?" He laughed.

She stopped and nodded, her face suddenly serious. "Yes. I want to be your girlfriend. I want to be with you and I can't even begin to thank you for waiting for me."

He slipped one arm around her waist, cradled her face with a hand and nuzzled her nose gently. "You were worth the wait."

Nadia melted against him. There was no hesitation – only trust, only acceptance. "I hope you're still saying that days from now."

"Babe, I'll be sayin' it years from now."

"Promise?"

"You bet I do."


	12. Breakfast Proposal

**A/N :** Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait again. Got a new job at a daycare as a teacher's aide, switched my major, etc etc etc. Life kinda got in the way again as it usually tends to do Thanks for waiting and I hope it was worth it!

Thanks again to my two ladies on the sidelines – Mikell and Christy – Mikell for her awesome beta'ing and Christy for her translations. What would I do without you two!

**Chapter Twelve: Breakfast Proposal**

There was just something far too amazing about waking up with one's face buried in a soft pillow that was drenched in the scent of a beautiful woman. So amazing that Michelangelo decided to make it his new favorite thing – next to Nadia of course. Nadia, Nadia's pillows, her sheets, Nadia's bed that was so ridiculously comfortable he wanted to just lay there all day and not move one single muscle.

Grinning at his rambunctious train of thought, Mikey buried his head further into the pillow, sweeping his arms up under it and folding them. He heard a soft chuckle beside him and his grin deepened. Add Nadia laughing to wake him up in the morning to that list of favorite things.

He opened one eye to look up at her and his heart tripped lightly. She was propped up on her pillows, a calm smile fixed on her face, her lids halfway lowered, her cheeks flushed from sleep and her hands resting on the swell of her stomach. She was the picture of motherly serenity.

"You're making me wish I was sleeping again," she murmured softly, her head lolling to the side so that she could look at him more fully.

"How long you been up?" He flipped onto his side, propping his elbow on the bed and resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Oh, not long. Maybe twenty minutes." She looked down at her stomach and an exuberant smile lit up her face. "Baby's kicking. He woke me up. It's the first time I've ever felt him kick."

Now that, Mike could understand. He remembered when Alex had first felt Sophia kick. She'd come rushing out of Raph's room, skipping like some teenager on a Twilight-induced excitement trip. She'd insisted that everyone feel Sophia kicking. Out of all of his brothers, Mikey was sure that next to Raph, he'd enjoyed the experience the most. He couldn't help feeling entirely fascinated by the fact that there was this little life nestled within his sister-in-law. Feeling just as fascinated now, he reached out a hand. "Can I?"

Nadia glanced at him, shock registering briefly before it slid away. Her eyes turned so liquid and soft that he was afraid for the briefest of seconds that he would melt. There was so much emotion there – so much she was showing him and probably wasn't even aware of it. "Sure," she murmured as she slid her hands away. "He's been so active this morning."

With a hum of acknowledgment, Mikey slid his hand over her stomach. He was met with an insistent kick and laughed. "Well, guess he's not a Mikey fan."

"He will be. His mommy sure is so he doesn't really have a choice."

"You're mom's right kid. Might as well give up now. Besides, I'm gonna teach you a bunch of cool ninja stuff…stuff you'd never learn from Leo. Not that you want to. I _am_ the Battle Nexus Champion so you _should_ be taking advice from me. And we can skateboard through the sewers and give your poor mom a heart attack. It'll be great."

"You're…going to stay with me that long?"

The question caught him off guard. His hand stilled on her stomach and he looked up, startled to see the apprehension so clearly stamped on her face. He sat up, shifting close to her. Moving his hand from her stomach, he cradled the side of her face and gently coaxed her to meet his gaze. "I'd kinda planned on it, if that's okay?"

She nodded, her nose bumping his thumb. "That would be-." Her voice caught. "That would be more than I could ever ask for."

"Well, lucky you." He closed the distance between us, giving into the urge to brush his beak against that pert nose. "You don't have to ask."

"Are you-." She stopped and looked away, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as if she were trying to stop herself from crying. She shook her head a little, the movement hardly noticeable.

"Hey-." He nudged her chin lightly with his fingers and she turned reluctantly to once more meet his gaze. "Am I what?"

She drew a deep breath. It shuddered audibly and he took her other hand in his, offering her a silent form of support. "Are you sure you want this? I mean…you hardly know me Mikey. And let's face it, what you do know doesn't exactly make me look all that great. And it's a baby. It's not like you're just getting me and all of my," she made a disgusted noise, rolling her eyes, "baggage. You're getting me, my baggage and my baby - a baby that's not even yours."

Her words were true enough yet they didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered but having her and if she came with a child and baggage, so be it. Hell, if she came with a pit bull named Terrance who was more intent on brutally attacking him and ending his life than anything else, he'd take her. As long as he could have Nadia. That was the heart of the matter. "Nadi, you're who I want to be with. Anything beyond you is an added perk that I'm more than happy to face with you. And…if you need me to tell anyone that I'm your baby daddy I'd be more than willing to let the entire world know that I slept with you."

He managed the last bit with a straight face. Nadia didn't. She burst out laughing and a rogue tear slid down his cheek. He caught it with his thumb and brushed it away before it had a chance to get far.

"Thank you, Michelangelo," she whispered once her chuckles had tapered off. She rested her forehead against his.

"Thank _you_, Nadi."

She shrugged and her cute nose scrunched up slightly. "Eh, I've been through enough crap. I deserve a break." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I deserve you."

Mikey gave her a roguish grin. "You bet you do." With a simple tug, she was on her back and he gazed down at her, loving the way her cheeks flushed, the way her thick hair spilled over the pillows. "I think I'm gonna have to kiss you now."

Nadia made a humming sound of approval. "By all means."

And he did just that, brushing his mouth softly against hers, staring into those lazy dark eyes. Every morning needed to start this way.

"You work today?" he asked, still kissing her.

She hummed softly. Her fingers played over his shoulder and neck and he shivered, pressing himself more firmly against her. "Not until this afternoon."

"You wanna just hang out and do a whole lot of nothin' until then?"

"Well, I'd like to but I've kind of got…plans."

He lifted his head to look at her. She had a bright pink blush staining her cheeks and was looking anywhere but at him. "What kind of plans?" he asked, his curiosity piqued by the sudden shyness.

"I…um…well, you see-."

He grinned, already liking where this was going. "Oh, this I have to hear."

She swatted at him, landing a harmless blow, then folded her arms across her chest and sulked. "I have to meet up with a friend online. We're due to take down this team of jerks that we've been trying to beat for a few weeks now in Halo."

And just like that, Hamato Michelangelo fell completely and irrevocably in love with Nadia Ramos. He almost told her too. Almost. That whole "team of jerks" phrase was stopping him. "Um, by team of jerks…might you possibly mean Rexar and NexusPro82?"

Nadia's eyes went wide, her jaw dropped. She was speechless for all of a minute, a minute in which he seriously considered making a panicked dash for the front door and high tailing it as far out of town as possible. Gamers were a touchy bunch. He should know. He was one.

"You!" she exclaimed.

Her hands moved and he flinched, rolling quickly away from her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! If I'd had any idea it was you I wouldn't have offed you all those times. I swear!"

"But you did!" She was up on her knees and reaching for him. Before he could escape she had her fingers against his sides and was tickling him mercilessly.

"NO! Nadi…please," he managed between gasps of laughter. "I give! I'll do anything…anything! Just please stop!"

"Anything?" she echoed, her fingers pausing in their torment.

"Yes!" He collapsed against the pillows, dragging in gulps of air. "Anything. Just name it."

She said nothing but bounced off the bed, smiling. "Follow me Mikey. You're going to help me take care of your little friend."

He stared after her, shaking his head. Well, this was going to kind of suck. Him and Eric had been teaming up for years now. They had a friendly rivalry which is why Eric never took it too badly when Mikey trumped him (which was often). That friendly rivalry was going to end though. Mikey sighed and shrugged. Nadia was a lot better looking than Eric…a better kisser too. Not that he knew but he was willing to put money on it. He would mourn the loss briefly and fully reap the benefits.

With a smile, he shifted off the bed and followed his girlfriend.

"Okay, so this guy's name is what now?"

Nadia opened a cabinet beneath her television and pulled out two X-Box 360 wireless controllers, handing him one with a set of headphones before she turned on the console and joined him on the couch.

"Eric," Michelangelo quickly answered. "He's this kid I play Halo with all the time. He's getting good. Too good. I could use some help taking that ego of his down a few notches." Michelangelo grinned at his girlfriend. Yes, that was right…his girlfriend. Her brows were drawn and her gaze was fixed on the screen of her television as she navigated her way through the preliminary options on the video game he had just now found out she had. "I think you just got like ten times hotter."

She quirked a grin at him but kept her eyes on the screen. "Because I'm a gamer? Well, when you don't have a lot of friends in the area and nothing to do, you've got to find ways to keep yourself occupied. When I moved here I wanted to see what all the fuss was about really. So I went out, bought an X-Box and the rest-." She shrugged.

Mikey laughed. "Addict."

They logged on, found their characters and Mikey went searching for Eric. He wasn't going to be hard to find. Sometimes Mikey honestly thought the poor kid didn't have a life. He always seemed to be around when the orange-masked ninja needed someone to really compete with. He was willing to bet that after today, that would no longer be the case.

_ Eh, small price to pay,_ he thought as he cast a glance at Nadia. She was chewing on her bottom lip. Her legs were folded and she had her elbows propped on them. Even with a look of concentration on her face that was borderline hostile, she was still the cutest damn thing he'd ever seen. _Very small price to pay. _

They were an hour into playing – making the rounds, challenging other teams and wasting no time establishing themselves as the two players to be afraid of. Then Eric signed in.

"This is not going to go well," Mikey groaned.

Nadia patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I'll make it quick."

"You'd better." With a sigh, Mikey switched on his headset. "Hey bud. Where ya been?"

Eric returned the greeting, claiming he'd slept in, and the two started plotting out an attack against an opposing team who Nadia and Mikey had been pounding ruthlessly on. Mikey's only hope was that they could get away with continuing to do so without any other teams questioning his sudden switch in teammate. That was the last thing he needed right now – having the other players figure out that NexusPro82 had joined ranks with the player that usually wiped the floor with him.

While the two made their way through the mazes of pillars and wreckage, Nadia skirted around the other way to head Eric off, careful to remain off the screen and out of view.

"So what do I get if I go through with this?" Mikey asked after muting his mic.

Nadia angled a sly grin at him. Her eyes never left the screen. "What did you want?"

"I'm thinking some high-quality make out time. Oh! And definitely more of your cooking. Like breakfast. Breakfast would be good." His stomach growled in agreement. "See?"

"Okay," Nadia laughed. "Deal."

"Great! Then let's get this over with. I'm freakin' starving."

With a derisive nod, Nadia quickly moved in.

"Hey Eric. You got a girlfriend, man?" Mikey asked, purposely throwing his teammate off the game. "No? That's a shame. I'm seein' this cute little Hispanic number right now – great legs, great eyes, lips that would turn a gay man straight. I'm serious! You'd have to see 'em yourself. I mean…the girls a piece of work alright. Most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. _And…_she's a gamer!" He glanced at Nadia and caught the deep smile and even deeper blush on her deeply tanned face. "Girls got me wrapped around her finger already. So you gotta do me a favor, bro. Try to understand the lengths a guy would go to for a woman way out of his league and find it in your heart to forgive me."

The startled _"what?"_ sounded in his ear right before Nadia stepped out from behind a pillar and ruthlessly mowed down Eric's avatar.

With a string of curses vividly blaring through the small headpiece, Mikey ripped it from his head and tossed it aside with an amused burst of laughter. "I have a feeling it's going to be a long, long time before I'm ever in his good graces again. Bummer…he was a pretty awesome wingman."

"Tendrá que reunirse con él entonces."

The sudden switch to Spanish took him off guard. He gave her a confused look. "What?"

Nadia faced him, smiled sweetly, then raised her hand to her lips and blew him a kiss. "Adios." Her finger went down on the trigger button and Mikey turned back to the TV in time to see his avatar take dive, face first, into the pavement.

"Aw, come on!" He tossed his controller aside and leaned back against the couch, covering his face with his hands. "You couldn't have been just a bit merciful and actually given me some warning."

"Where's the fun in that?" Nadia scoffed. She set her controller down on the coffee table and bounced up, still smiling victoriously. "Come on. I'll make you that breakfast."

As she passed him, he reached out and snagged her hand, dragging her back down onto the couch. She fell over his lap, her legs falling on one side and her arm going around his neck instinctively to keep herself from falling further. Wide eyed and flushed, she looked up at him.

"I remember saying something about high-quality make out time."

"Oh." Her flushed deepened and Mikey silently congratulated himself. She was irresistible when she was nervous. Well, she was irresistible in general. Jeez, he was just going to have to resign himself to the fact that he would be forever living in a state of constant infatuation with Nadia.

"Oh?" He moved closer, brushing his nose against hers.

"Mikey…I haven't even brushed my teeth," she attempted to protest. It was a pitiful attempt, especially when he could smell the shift in her scent. Subtle and delicious quickly shifted to overwhelming and addictive. He moved to her neck, nuzzling the soft flesh and feeling the trip of her pulse against his mouth. After a second of resistance, she melted against him, mewling softly.

With a groan, he buried his hand in the hair at the nape of her neck, pulled her gently back and pressed his mouth to hers. Her lips parted immediately and he pressed his advantage, brushing his tongue boldly against hers, shivering when she moaned softly and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

He pressed her back until she was lying down and settled beside her, one leg between hers, his hand drifting lazily up and down her side.

"You taste like everything I ever wanted a kiss to taste like," he murmured softly against her lips.

"You don't taste at all like what I thought kissing a giant turtle would taste like."

"Spend a lot of time thinking about kissing giant turtles?"

Her eyes drifted open. Liquid pools of deep, seductive chocolate captured him. "Only after I met you."

Weakened and humbled by her honesty, he bent his head to kiss her again. Of course, _someone_ would choose that moment to interrupt them and knock obnoxiously loud on the door. Mikey swore colorfully, using words Nadia had never heard him use before and making her laugh.

"Of all the freakin' times to have a nunchuck for a weapon," he muttered as he pushed himself off Nadia and helped her up. "Could have had a sai through the door by now."

"It's probably just your brother." Nadia offered him a sympathetic smile. She opened the door, confirming her suspicions and moved aside to let Raph in. "Morning!"

"Hey," the red-masked ninja grunted. He looked exhausted and bleary-eyed. "Coffee?"

Suppressing a giggle, Nadia nodded. "Sure. Give me a few minutes. I was just going to start breakfast too. You're welcome to stay."

"Thanks." Raph started for the table when a pillow collided with him, smacking him harmlessly in the face before falling to the floor by his feet. Still half-asleep, all Raph could manage to do was stop walking and look cluelessly down at the pillow before glancing up to see where it had come from. Michelangelo sat on the couch, his eyes narrowed in a hostile glare.

"Remind me to walk in on you and Alex the next time you two decide to get a 'lil action, huh?"

"'K," Raph muttered.

"K? Wow." Mikey jumped over the back of the couch. "You sleep at all last night, bro?"

"Sleep?"

"Yeah…it's that thing that you do when you close your eyes and stop thinking. Well, I know that's an all day, everyday thing for you but I mean at night."

Raph muttered incoherently and Mikey couldn't help but laugh a little. "Yeah, let's get some coffee in you, huh?"

He wrapped an arm around his older brother's shoulders and guided him to the table. Nadia was already working on breakfast while the coffee pot sat in the sink being filled with steaming water.

"How's Alex doing?" Mikey asked, repressing a laugh as he watched his older brother slouch into a chair.

"Gettin' more sleep than me. Said she's gonna miss having a call button when she comes home. Guess the nurses are takin' great care of her there."

"Well, that's kinda their job, right?"

Raph grumbled a quiet response, then folded his arms on the table and dropped his head onto them. "Wake me when there's a cup of coffee sittin' in front of me."

Mikey started to respond but was promptly cut off by the sound of Raph's soft snoring. He blinked, then shook his head grinning. Raph's ability to fall asleep within seconds had never failed to amaze him. What did amaze him however was that he hadn't done so until now. Then again, being alone and having a mind that worked the way Raph's did sometimes…yeah, okay. Now he could understand it.

Pushing away from the table, he went to join Nadia.

"He's not really sleeping, is he?" she asked when he moved in behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Yup. Impressive, huh?"

"Here," Nadia handed him the spatula she was using to stir around peppers, eggs and cheese in a frying pan. "You take over here. I'm going to get your brother to bed."

"Um, you sure you want to do that?"

She gave him a dry look. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Raph may be tough but he's tired and needs a good rest." She moved to the kitchen table then took a moment to look down at the sleeping terrapin. He was snoring lightly and even in sleep she could see the strain in his features. "Raph," she whispered softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and nudging him lightly. "Hey, why don't we move you to a bed and you can get some good sleep."

"Mfph," was the only response she got.

"I can't carry you, Raph," she muttered with an indulgent smile, shaking a little harder. She glanced up at Mikey, received an unhelpful shrug in lieu of advice and frowned at him before giving it another try. "Raph….Raph…come on Raph," she sang the last part while drumming her fingers on his unmoving shoulder.

He shrugged once, then opened his eyes only wide enough to glare at her.

Okay, time to bring out the big guns. "I have a Tempur-Pedic."

"Sold," he muttered, standing up and giving her a tired smile. "Lead the way."

Nadia rolled her eyes and moved back, allowing him room to stand before she brought him to her room.

"You and Mikey didn't-."

Before the sentence was even out of his mouth, Nadia smacked him. "No! And even if we did, that's none of your business, Raphael."

He stopped in the open doorway and grinned down at her. The look he gave her was full of acceptance, easily readable even through the exhaustion. "You're alright Nadi."

"I guess you are too," she grumbled. A gentle push was all he needed to propel him toward the bed. "Take as much time as you need. I don't work until five."

She watched him drop to the bed with a smile, then shook her head when he immediately started snoring. "Silly turtle," she whispered, closing the door behind her.

Nadia returned to the kitchen, surprised to find Mikey working on a pan of bacon. Two perfectly cooked omelets lay on the counter next to him and another lay cooking in the pan beside the bacon. "Wow, aren't you efficient."

"You're not the only one who can cook, babe." He winked at her and nodded towards the kitchen table. There were two empty plates, silverware, a jug of orange juice and two glasses laying at the ready. "How-?"

"I'm a ninja, Nadi. It's how we roll. Go sit down. Let me take care of this."

She couldn't argue, even if she wanted to. He was making it far too easy to give in to being spoiled. And the temptation to just sit and not have to worry about making breakfast for the first time in her life…it was overwhelming. To sit and enjoy the morning…she didn't even know what that was like.

She pulled a chair from the table, turned it slightly and sank down into it, letting one hand fall to her stomach and gazed out the large windows. It was snowing. Large, puffy flakes coasted downward, creating a welcome reprieve from the gray of the low-hanging clouds. Maybe it would be the last snow of the winter season. One could hope.

A light knock on the door drew her gaze from the wintry scene and she pushed away from the table, crossing the floor to answer it. A smile quickly appeared on her face as she saw Leonardo and Donatello standing on the opposite side, each with their hands buried deep in the pockets of their coats.

"Hey uncles! Well, this is a wonderful surprise."

"May we come in," Leonardo asked, though the question was really not necessary.

Nadia gave him a rueful grin and stepped aside. "You two are just in time for breakfast."

They moved past her, both murmuring their thanks as they pushed their hoods back.

"Bros!" Mikey greeted cheerfully. "Mornin'! Omelets?"

Leo gave him what passed as a marginally disapproving look. "You should have called, Mikey. You're lucky Raph did it for you. Where is he?"

"Sleepin' in Nadia's room. He didn't get much last night and ended up passing out at the table. Nadia just got him moved."

"Impressive."

Nadia shrugged, going to join Mikey in the kitchen. "Not that impressive. Apparently he's got a thing for Temper-Pedics. Coffee?"

"Please," the two older brothers said in unison.

With an indulgent smile, Nadia poured them both a large mug of coffee and joined them at the table after blowing Mikey a quick kiss and leaving him to his devices. He seemed to know his way around the kitchen pretty well. Besides that, she didn't know much about Donatello or Leonardo. This would be a good opportunity to get to know them better.

"So, are you guys pretty excited about being uncles?"

Donny hummed softly, took a sip of his coffee and barely stopped himself from letting his eyes roll back in bliss. "I'm just glad that everything went off without a hitch. We were worried that…well, you know. Us being mutant and all-."

"You were worried she wouldn't make it through the pregnancy?"

"That was one of the worries. There were quite a few others."

"Well, now you just get to kick back, relax and enjoy spoiling your niece, right?"

Leo snorted. "Relax? Can one even do that when a baby is around?"

Nadia filled a glass with orange juice and smiled over the rim as she lifted it to her lips. "They can when they're not the parents."

"Here ya go, guys. Enjoy," Mikey said as he set a platter of omelets and bacon down on the table.

"You know, you should really swing by home, Mikey," Leo casually suggested, filling his plate and pointedly ignoring his youngest brothers roll of the eyes. "Sensei doesn't say anything but I'm getting the impression that he really misses having us all there. And I think he'd really like to meet Nadia."

Nadia glanced up in question and Leo quickly elaborated. "Splinter. He's our Sensei, our father."

"Oh. Is he-."

"Like us? No. He was a rat prior to our mutation." The blue-masked ninja gave her a teasing grin which took her slightly off guard. Leo, teasing? She didn't really pin him as the type but it was a welcome shift to what she'd already known about him. "Not afraid of rats, are you?"

"Not that I know of."

"We could take you down there after breakfast if you want?"

Nadia glanced at Mikey, seeking his approval. It seemed very sudden, meeting the father figure in her new boyfriend's life. Even the proposal made by Leo seemed a bit…restrained, as if he wasn't all together certain he should be extending the invitation. But Mikey nodded, looking far more certain about the idea than Leo did and she found herself nodding. "I'd like that. If it's okay with all of you."

"Sure. We'd be happy to have you."

She wasn't entirely sure she believed it but Mikey's encouraging smile bolstered her confidence. If this wasn't a good thing, he wouldn't have been so supportive of the idea. She trusted him though. Besides, she wanted to meet the father who'd raised such diverse sons.

She sat silent for the remainder of the meal, content to listen to the three brothers talk, to comment when she was asked a question but not far beyond that. They were all so interesting – Leonardo with his constant seriousness that lurked even beneath the light joking, Donatello with his curious intelligence, Michelangelo with his infectious optimism. And the way they talked to each other – so effortlessly. She couldn't remember an entire meal she'd sat down to when living with her parents where the conversation hadn't felt forced.

She excused herself when she was finished, invited the three to continue talking and refilled coffee where needed before ducking into her room, snagging a change of clothing and taking a quick shower. Once done with that and clothed in a pair of faded jeans and a dark gold sweater, she tiptoed into her bedroom. Raph was still fast asleep, snoring softly, one arm stretched over her pillows. She smiled at the image he made. _Not nearly as intimidating._

Sinking onto the bed beside him, she leaned over and nudged him gently with the flat of her hand. "Hey, we're going with Leonardo and Donatello. I guess I'm meeting Splinter."

"Mfph."

Biting back a chuckle, Nadia smiled. "We'll be back before I go to work, I'm sure. Just make yourself at home and feel free to snag yourself something to eat from the fridge. I've got some leftovers and if you need more than that, I can whip you up something when I get back."

He made another noise, this one only slightly more of an affirmative than the previous one was. Thinking better of it, she pulled open the drawer of her bedside table and retrieved her diary and a pen. Ripping a page free, she used the thick notebook to write down a quick note for Raph, then set it on the pillow beside him. Hopefully he would see it. She wouldn't be surprised if he was still sleeping when they got back.

"Sleep well," she whispered, patting his shoulder softly then standing and returning to the dining room. The three brothers were already standing, adjusting their clothing as they chatted softly. The table was cleared – dishes rinsed and stacked neatly on the counter beside the sink. It made her smile to see that. She wasn't used to be taken care of. And she really _did_ hate doing the dishes.

"You ready to go, babe?" Mikey asked.

She hummed an affirmative, slipped on a pair of tennis shoes, her coat and a stocking cap and let Michelangelo lead her out of the apartment.

Translation:

Tendrá que reunirse con él entonces: (roughly translated – my Christy went missing) You will have to meet with him then.


	13. Closure

**A/N:** Hello! Happy Thanksgiving to come to you all! I think I'm going to skip the apology that this took so long. I do that a lot…you guys get it by now, right? Big thanks go out to Mikell for being my awesome beta and pushing me to keep going with this! Love you lady!

**Chapter Thirteen: Closure**

He was nervous. Horribly nervous. And that wasn't something Michelangelo was very often. But he was taking his girlfriend to meet his father. He'd watched enough television and movies to understand that this was a huge moment. Defining…he wasn't entirely sure on that one…but he knew it was one of the bigger moments in a relationship.

He could feel the tension sliding off of Nadia in waves and took a small amount of comfort in knowing that he wasn't the only one feeling the way he was. Ahead of them, Leo and Don walked, talking quietly, their shoulders hunched against the cold. That was the not-so-fun part of being a mutant turtle – they were still cold-blooded which made winter all that much worse to deal with. _Yet another reason to spend every waking moment with Nadia. Not like I needed a reason to do that._

With an indulgent smile, he reached over and wrapped an arm around Nadia, pulling her against him. "He's gonna love you."

"He knows nothing about me, Mikey," she argued softly.

"Yeah, but he's gonna."

Her footsteps faltered and she looked up at him, alarm registering very clearly on her features. Quick to reassure her, Mikey tightened his hold to keep her where she was and said, "Relax, babe. Master Splinter has this…way of reading people. Ya don't even have to say anything to him."

"Can he…read minds or something?"

"Kind of. You'll get it when you meet him."

The wary expression remained but she allowed him to guide her forward anyway. It wasn't long before they were home. Leo reached up to pull on one pipes in a group of four. He hesitated only a moment before closing his hand around it and pulling. _That's Leo for ya…never trusts anyone until he gets Master Splinter's approval,_ Mikey thought with a shake of his head.

The Lair was quiet which was a strange thing to walk into. The Lair was never quiet. Either a television was on or Donnie's computers were going or Raph was in the dojo beating the crap out of a punching bag. To walk into it being so soundless was a little different.

Leo led the way to Splinter's rooms. The door sat open, flickering candlelight spilling over the rough pavement. The faint notes of Japanese meditation music drifted out to meet them as the drew closer.

"Master," Leo greeted, executing a small, formal bow.

"My sons. Welcome home. And Michelangelo, it is good to see you."

"Hey Sensei!" the youngest said with a wave, smiling.

Nadia looked around him and quickly stifled a gasp. Sitting at a short table heavily laden with low burning candles was a mutated rat dressed in thick, red robes. His folded hands rested on the table. Were they hands? Or were they claws? She shook the thought off, going very still as his wise, gold eyes came to rest on her.

"You must be Nadia," he murmured kindly. His whiskers twitched and a small smile tugged at the corners of his wide mouth. "Come in, my child. Sit."

She approached him timidly, uncertain of what to expect from the mutated rat watching her with the utmost patience. There was something about him that drew her, regardless of her apprehension. He seemed (and it was really the only word she could think of to describe him) safe.

Nadia cast a quick, backwards glance at Mikey who still stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall. He gave her an encouraging nod, smiling widely. Then, for some reason she didn't understand…she looked to Leo. Something flashed briefly in his amber eyes – wariness maybe? It vanished quickly and he nodded once, silently telling her it was okay to go forward. Once again she turned to Splinter, closed the distance and sank to the floor before the short table. "Sir," she murmured quietly.

"Miss Ramos," he returned quietly. He lifted a small ceramic pot and started to pour steaming water into two mugs. His gaze flickered to his sons and Nadia heard the shuffle of feet as they left, the rusty muted squeal of the door hinges as it slid close. Splinter handed one of the mugs over to her with small hum.

"I shouldn't-."

"Hot chocolate, my child." His smile crept into his eyes, putting her at ease. "You are cold. I would offer tea but I understand you are with child?"

"Yes sir." She curled her hands around the mug, shivering as the warmth penetrated her chilled fingers.

"Ah, yes. Then tea would not be the thing for you. Are you faring far better than you were a few days back?"

He asked conversationally, as if she'd only suffered through a cold – not a condition that almost cost her the life of her baby. "I am." She cast her gaze to the floor and swallowed thickly. "Thank you for asking."

The sound of cloth rustling interrupted the crackle of flame. Nadia kept her eyes on the floor as Splinter approached her and knelt down, settling himself beside her.

"You fear me."

She shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I'm afraid of what you'll see."

She tensed when his fingers brushed her chin. The leathery pads were much softer than she had anticipated, the soft bristles of fur between them tickling. With little coaxing he drew her attention. He smiled gently when she met his gaze.

"Mikey, Alex and Raph know the basics," she found herself explaining in a voice that sounded far too distant to be her own. But it was. "They don't know how horrifying it all was. They don't know that he-." Her throat tightened, not allowing her to continue.

Splinter nodded. One of his hands closed around hers and she closed her eyes against a sudden rush of tears.

"The burdens that you carry are heavy, my child. It will take time for your heart to heal and for you to have the strength to put that life behind you."

"Can you help me forget it? Just make it all go away? Is that one of your little tricks?" she asked, only half joking.

He smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, I cannot. What I can do is assure you that you do not fight alone. You have the protection of myself, my sons, and my daughter. I sense a great bond between many of you already – Alexandria, Raphael. Most noticeably though, Michelangelo. This bond I sense will only strengthen with time. Michelangelo is often impulsive, reckless. He feels his emotions with much greater spontaneity than his brothers. You will never have to question what is in his heart."

Nadia smiled, remembering the orange-masked turtle's candid sincerity earlier that morning. "He is very honest."

"Yes. He feels no reason not to be. Through rigorous training and lectures, his spirit has remained uncontainable."

She bit back a giggle at the dry lull of his voice. Michelangelo a handful as a child…she could see that.

"You are not without hope, child." His hand fell to her shoulder, his thumb rubbing in a comforting manner. "You are not without faith either. Both you can have in my family. We will not fail you."

"Thank you," she whispered. She was humbled by his words – humbled and reassured.

"You are most welcome." He stood fluidly and offered his hand. "Shall we rejoin my sons?"

They made their way leisurely into the large main room of the Lair. Donatello had wasted no time moving to his computers and turning them on while Leo and Mikey rested comfortably on the couch. Mikey was going through the channels and Leo was flipping through a magazine. Splinter's gaze moved over each of his sons and a content smile settled over his aged features.

"You have a wonderful family, sir," Nadia murmured, smiling as well. "And your granddaughter is beautiful."

"Ah, that is right. You have met Sophia."

"Yes. Both her and Alex are doing fine. I'm going to stop and visit her on my way home."

His smile deepened. "You must tell my daughter that I miss her and fully expect her to bring my grandchild down for some much deserved spoiling."

Nadia laughed softly. "I will."

Her laughter drew Mikey's attention and he vaulted over the back of the couch, approaching them with a hesitant smile. "You guys have a good talk?"

"Most enlightening," Splinter answered, winking at Nadia before he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "You, my son, are blessed. I thank you for bringing such a refreshing ray of light into our home."

"Hey, happy to do it Sensei."

"Now if you'll excuse me…I believe it is time for me to take back my programming."

Mikey shook his head, watching Splinter make his way slowly over to where Leo and Don still sat, their voices carrying faintly over the din of the television.

"You okay?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh, I just know Sensei's mind tricks can leave ya feeling a little…I dunno…"

Nadia reached over and took his hand, smiling at him. "I'm fine."

"Awesome. Well hey, we've got some time to kill. You want a tour?"

She struggled to hide the relief but was certain Mikey could easily read it in the widening of her smile. As much as she enjoyed her time with Splinter, she now felt extremely vulnerable and exposed. She didn't mind Michelangelo seeing her emotions but she was still leery of Donatello and Leonardo. The tour was a welcome escape. Maybe after coming down from the sudden knee-jerk reaction of having someone know her deepest secrets had worn off, she would feel less intimidated about others seeing the same thing. But now was not that time.

"Lead the way."

His hand tightened around hers briefly before he tucked it in the crook of his elbow and nearly dragged her along in his exuberance. "Well, you've already seen the living room…the second most epic room in the Lair."

"What's the first?"

"My room." He gave her a wink over his shoulder. "Naturally."

He led her around, showing her through the line of old subway cars converted to bedrooms, storage rooms, mediation rooms, etc. The dojo was on their way up the stairs where a long dark hallway stretched to a dead end. There were four doors, each of them closed. Nadia moved a little closer to Mikey as he led her to the last two doors, uneasy in the darkness.

It was the door on the right that he opened, stepping in and quickly flipping the switch. Light bathed the room in color and Nadia smiled when she saw the stacks of comic books on low bookshelves loaded with CD's, books and various lego creations. Three skateboards hung from hooks on the far wall, two loaded with decals and showing considerable wear, and the third only hinting at minor use so far.

A desk sat beside a large, unmade bed piled with blankets and pillows. The thick wood piece was the one thing in the room that was not littered with the usual male paraphernalia. The only objects taking up space on the surface were a box of artist's markers, a notebook, a lamp and an alarm clock. A pen peeked out from between the pages of the notebook.

Curious, Nadia moved over to it as Mikey went to the bed and tried to make the mess of blankets look more orderly. A lost cause…but the fact that he did it was endearing.

"What's this?" she asked, her fingers sliding over the front page of the notebook and then tapping against the pen.

"Oh, that's ahh," Mikey rubbed the back of his neck and smiled shyly. "Well, take a look."

She held his gaze for a moment, surprised to see the nervous way he fidgeted. She may have only known him a handful of days, but everything she knew never led on to a timid persona. Quite the opposite.

"Go ahead," he invited again.

She flipped the notebook open, looked down and gasped, pressing her fingertips to her mouth. A comic book version of her, standing tall and defiant with her hands on her hips, smirked up at her. Beside her was Michelangelo, dressed in some superhero getup with a cape and mask. He had an arm around Nadia but it was obvious it was just there to show that he was with her, not because this startling creature he'd created needed a man to keep her up or fight beside her.

Printed in bold, overdramatic letters above them read, _"The Adventures of The Turtle Titan and The Spanish Amazon."_

"I know the whole Spanish Amazon thing was kind of a long shot. Amazon's are supposed to be tall and all but…you could give 'em a run for their money as far as hotness, strength and determination go."

"This…is amazing," she whispered, tracing the picture with a fingertip. "This is…this is what you see when you look at me?" She looked up at him.

"Well," he shrugged, his mouth quirking up slightly at the corner, "Yeah. Don't you?"

Without a word, she closed the distance between them, winding her arms around his neck and pressing her mouth to his. A startled moan left him before his arms stole around her waist. He skimmed one hand up her spine and buried it in the thick tangle of dark curls, tilting her head for a deeper kiss.

It was Nadia who pushed, moving them in the direction of the bed. She didn't know what was driving her. Last night such bold moves would have terrified her but now…now determination overrode fear. He looked at her and saw everything she constantly wished she could be. His honesty set free a passion that had lived on in silence, repressed by trauma to the depths of her mind.

His arm tightened around her as he lost his balance and fell to the bed, taking her with him. She fell on top of him. He twisted until she was beneath him, caught up in soft blankets that carried his scent, their limbs tangled.

Confidence twined with lust and greed slipped through Nadia as Michelangelo's hands stole under her shirt, skimming her flesh and burning every inch his fingers brushed. It warred with the fear, taking it over. When he murmured her name against her lips, his voice harsh and uneven, it only stoked the fires. She sat up, lifting her arms when he pulled at her shirt, letting him slide it off of her and toss it carelessly aside as she lay back down, pulling him with her, arching against him. She wanted to feel ever bit of him pressed against her.

When he tore his mouth from hers and lowered it to her neck, grazing her skin with his teeth, she gasped and whispered encouragement, her fingers clutching at his neck and shoulders. The muscles there moved fluidly, shifting and tightening. She was amazed at how each one was so defined, so sculpted and yet…not at all intimidating. Victor had had muscles. But he had used them to-.

She cried out, grateful when Mikey took the sound for one of encouragement instead of the denial trying to scrape away at her newfound confidence. Victor had no place here. He had no _right!_

In her desperation to rid herself of the haunted nightmare, Nadia arched her hips against Mikey, silently inviting him to take what he wanted. What he wanted was what she needed to banish her tainted memories. She bent her head to his neck, biting softly. Her hands roamed over his arms, down his sides and lower.

Suddenly his hands were around her wrists. He was pulling back. He stared down at her, trying to catch his breath. "Nadi…what's going on?"

"Nothing," she muttered, reaching for him to try and pull him back to her.

"No, that's not nothing. I mean…" he shook his head, his brows furrowing. "It doesn't…it doesn't feel like you're here."

"What are you talking about?" She jerked up into a sitting position and he moved away from her. "I'm right here."

"Yeah, _you_ are. Not your mind."

Nadia clutched the blanket to her chest and frowned. She looked anywhere but at him. "Listen, if you don't want to do this-."

"Oh no," he quickly interrupted her. "You're not pullin' that crap on me. This has nothing to do with me." He settled himself in front of her, crossing his legs and grasping one of her hands lightly in his. "I'm thinkin'…this is a you thing. And you're tryin' to get something to shut up."

She rolled her eyes towards the heavens and sighed. Her shoulders fell. She wanted to be mad at him, to bite back _yes, I'm trying to shut YOU up._ But she couldn't do that to Mikey. Raph maybe…but not Mikey.

"I'm trying to shut Victor _out_," she finally admitted.

"Figured it was somethin' like that." He shifted until he was sitting beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You wanna talk about it?"

She released a long, suffering sigh. "No. But that's not going to do me any favors." Silence fell and she tried to piece together a delicate way to explain the one thing she'd left out of her story. The one thing she hated more than anything else. But there was no simple way to put it. It was ugly. And she needed it out.

"I told you that Victor pushed me into sleeping with him. That he threatened to kill himself if I didn't. What I didn't tell you." Her throat closed up. She took a breath and tried again. "What I didn't tell you….was that before anything happened…I fought back."

He scowled. "You mean…"

"I mean I may have agreed to it at first…but when we were in my bedroom…I just…I didn't want to do it. I fought him. I told him no. He didn't listen. He shoved me down on my stomach and tied my hands to the headboard."

Every single memory came scorching its way back. Cold swept over her. But she didn't cry. She had no more tears for a past she couldn't change. "The ropes were so tight that it took nearly a month for the marks they made to go away. And it wasn't just one time. He didn't stop until the next morning. By then…I couldn't even scream anymore. I just…laid there." She smiled sadly, swallowing the lump of emotion. "I wanted to die. I wanted him to just kill me and get it over with. But he didn't. When morning came, he untied me, said he was sorry and left."

Nadia winced when Mikey stood. She watched him pace the floor, his blue eyes alight with fury.

"Michelangelo-."

"Where's this guy live again? Where in California?"

She sighed and pushed herself off the bed, crossing the floor and grabbing his arm to stop him. "Yeah. You getting on the next plane to get there?"

"I'm thinking about it!" he shouted, turning to her and not bothering to redirect his anger. "Don't think that just 'cuz I'm a mutant turtle means I'm not capable of gettin' on a damn plane, finding this guy and rippin' him apart!"

"Okay, fine." She stepped aside. "Go."

He stared at her and she could see the indecision in his gaze. He wanted to go. She could see the blood lust as easily as she'd seen it in her own haunted eyes every day following that night for several long weeks. But she knew him well enough to know he valued the safety of his family more than he valued vengeance.

"You can't change my past any more than I can," she whispered.

That took the fight out of him. He sighed and lifted a hand, pressing his fingers to his face as if he had a headache he was trying to ease. "I want to."

"So do I." She stepped closer and cradled the side of his face in her hand. "But I can't. All I can do is hope for a better future. And you've already given me that. I'm sorry for trying to get rid of him like that. That wasn't fair to you."

Michelangelo rested his forehead against hers. "Don't be sorry. I get it. If that's what you need to get away from what he did-."

"No, it's not what I need. And it won't happen again. _He_ has no right to be where you _belong_ and I won't let it happen. Next time…next time it's just you and me."

Michelangelo nodded. "That isn't happening today, though."

"No." Nadia smiled, then angled her head to snag a quick, simple kiss. "Sorry."

"Eh, that's alright. Was good while it lasted."

They both laughed and settled against each other, drained from the sudden rise and destruction of hormones and the trip into a past neither of them wanted to revisit.

"You wanna do some gaming before work?"

"Please."

Mikey's answer to anger. If you couldn't destroy the person behind it…you could sure take out a small colony of online gamers.

***Later That Evening***

The cold wind of a dwindling winter was the only thing accompanying Nadia home. Mikey had stayed in the Lair. Apparently chores needed to be done but when he was finished he would be stopping by after she got home from work. She'd already sent him a text message to let him know she had clocked out and was going to be stopping by to see Alex before heading home for the evening.

She considered herself lucky that the remainder of her evening had been uneventful. Well, aside from the delivery of vibrant, orange calla lilies with a note reading, _"Hey Amazon. Hope these will brighten your night like you've brightened mine. Yours truly, Titan."_

The girls she was working with that evening had been relentless in their perusal of information after that little surprise, not happy with her casual responses. She hadn't given in until the end of the evening, when one last question led to a very off the wall answer of "Oh, the Turtle Titan saved me from some horrible villain and I guess I made an impression."

It had been, in a round-about-way, the truth. But none of them had bought it. She had left the salon with a shrug and a smile, hugging her vase of flowers and suppressing the desire to skip her way to the hospital.

She had spent an hour with Alex and Sophia, cuddling the small child with a dusting of fine blond hair and the dark eyes of her father. She was, in Nadia's opinion, the most beautiful little girl possible. Tiny, curious - a perfect mix of her mother and father.

After catching up on what little had happened over the past day and a half and promising to stop in again and help Alex get her things together tomorrow for her trip home, Nadia gave both mother and daughter a hug and left the hospital.

The wind picked up as she neared her apartment and she hunched her shoulders against it, quickening her pace. She wanted to get inside where it was warm, then into sweat pants and a sweatshirt which was warmer…then into Mikey's arms which was even warmer still. The last thought made her smile and she took the steps in one bound, yanking the door open and ducking in.

As she started up the stairs, her phone beeped. She pulled it from her purse and smiled as she read the text on the screen.

_Raph decided to spend the night at the Lair. Just you and me for breakfast, babe. On my way._

Her heart fluttered slightly and she read it over again, her footsteps slowing as she neared the top. Just her and Mikey for breakfast. He wanted to spend the night.

With a small laugh, she jogged the rest of the way to her front door, unlocked it and stepped inside. She didn't bother locking it again, knowing Mikey would be there soon. Ninja's were quick, or at least that's what she was starting to realize. Dropping her purse on the floor and gently setting the vase of calla lilies on the kitchen counter, she spent a few quick minutes frivolously readjusting the delicate bouquet before running to her room and switching from her work clothes to a pair of hot pink sweatpants and a white sweatshirt.

A knock sounded just as she was pulling her hair away from her face and securing it in a loose ponytail, checking her progress in the vanity mirror.

"Come in!" she called out. With a quick smile at her reflection, she nearly skipped out of the bedroom in her excitement to once again be with Michelangelo. The excitement was short lived, replaced by a sickening dread that froze her in place. She started to tremble, each nerve suddenly on painful edge.

"Nadia-."

The man standing in her dining room said her name in a voice edged with pain and nauseating wonder. His dark eyes watched her. He made one small move forward and she jerked back as if he had physically struck out at her.

Victor.

"I can't…I found you." He started forward again, determination quickening his stride. She immediately retreated, a startled cry leaving her when her back hit the resistance of the wall.

"Victor…you need to leave," she muttered hoarsely. "Please…get out of here."

"No." He grabbed her arms, yanking her back when she tried to turn away from him. "I can't leave. I need to be with you."

"No!" she said firmly. "You need…to go. Now!"

"I'm not going anywhere. It took me this long to find you. Don't you see? I need to be with you Nadia. I can't keep lying to myself and living with my wife when every night I go to sleep wanting you. Every morning I wake up hoping to see you."

She jerked away again and his grip tightened painfully. "You need me to scream and fight against you while you force yourself on me. That's all you want," she hissed, glaring at him.

"It wasn't like that Nadia." Keeping a firm grip on one arm, he lifted a hand and pressed it to the side of her face. It was cold, it was cruel and it smelled faintly of cigarettes. "It wasn't like that for me. It was beautiful and…and-."

"You're sick!" she screamed in his face. She could feel the wetness of tears on her cheeks, even through the slithering numbness. "You're sick…and I want nothing…_nothing_…to do with you."

Rage shifted his features into an ugly, terrifying mask. She cringed away from it. She suddenly wished Michelangelo was there. Wished with a ferocity that was overwhelming.

"You want _everything_ to do with me," Victor hissed.

"No," she cried, shaking her head. She tried again in vain to pull away from him. "Nothing…please…please don't do this."

"But it's what I want, Nadia. It's what we both want."

"It's not what I want!" she cried in earnest. Panic seeped through her words. She was fighting a battle she would not win. He couldn't hear her. He wouldn't. "I don't want you Victor."

"Then you won't have me," he growled through clenched teeth. His other hand was at her neck faster than she could blink, wrapping around it. Her panic intensified drastically as her air supply was quickly cut off. "You won't have me…and you won't have anyone else. Not even _our child."_

Nadia thrashed against him, fighting as hard as she could. She didn't want to die! She didn't want her baby to die! She wanted to live, to be with Michelangelo, to know true happiness and security. Unlike the night Victor had taken such disgusting advantage of her, she didn't want to give up and let him have his way. She wanted to fight back. She _needed_ to fight back.

Her nails clawed at his arms, moving frantically as he lifted her from the ground, both hands gripping her neck so tightly that for one horrible moment she thought he would snap it. Her lips formed words that would not come.

She looked into the face of the man that would kill her, stared into true evil and ugliness. She prayed he would read the plea in her eyes and let him go, prayed to anyone who would listen. And someone did. An arm slipped quickly between herself and Victor, a green arm wrapped in a gray sleeve. It tightened around Victor's neck and jerked back. Surprised, Victor immediately released her and she fell to the ground, gasping for breath, her body trembling violently.

"Nadi…go to the bedroom. Lock the door and do not come out until I tell you to."

Nadia swallowed hard, her wide eyes fixed on Michelangelo as he stood over Victor. His eyes which had always been her favorite feature of his because of the way they constantly shone with optimism and humor, were now impossibly hard. He looked….dangerous. She started to nod, hardly aware of the motion and her numb legs worked to carry her back to the bedroom. A few paces away and she spun, sprinting into the safety of her room and slamming the door.

Once the sound of the lock hitting home sounded, Michelangelo very slowly lowered his gaze to the man lying on the ground beneath him. Victor stared up at him, clearly terrified. "You know," Mikey said, forcing boredom into his tone as he moved one foot to Victors other side and hunkered down. He rested his elbows on his knees, purposely letting his nunchuks thwack Victor in the chest. The hit was harmless but it startled the man which is exactly what Mikey wanted. "I've been wantin' to meet you buddy."

"Please," Victor sputtered, flinching when Mikey shifted and drawing his arms up to protect his face.

Impatient, Michelangelo threw his weapon aside, jerked Victor's arms away and grabbed a fistful of his sweater. He pulled the man up until he was face to face with him, until he could nearly smell the fear. "You listen to me…and you listen good. I want you out of here and you had better not even think about coming back. Because if you do…oh buddy, I'm gonna be waiting. And I can promise you right now that there will be no second chances if I so much as hear that you're back in this city. You got that?"

"Yes…yes. Please just…just let me go. I have a wife…children-."

"Like I care!" Mikey spat, shoving Victor down with enough force to crack his skull against the floor. "You're lucky you're not dead right now! You realize that? You come near Nadia again….and you will not live to see your wife and kids."

"Okay," Victor whimpered pitifully. Tears were now streaming down his face, mixing with the small trickle of blood that oozed from the open wound on his cheek.

Growling, Mikey hauled him up and slammed him back down, satisfied with the pained yelp and the crack of bone against hardwood. "I can't hear you!"

"Yes!" Victor shouted. "Yes! Please…just…let me go."

Mikey moved back and hauled Victor to his feet. Carelessly, he shoved Victor toward the door, a mean smirk crossing his face when the man stumbled. "Remember what I said, dude. You come back…and you're a dead man."

Victor didn't even acknowledge his words. He raced for the door, releasing a panicked scream when he found the deadbolt locked. His hands gripped frantically. Once unlocked, Victor yanked the door open and ran. His piteous cries followed him out and caused humorless grin on Mikey's face to widen. Only marginally though. As he moved to the door, closing and locking it, the smirk fell away. He turned to look at Nadia's closed bedroom door, feeling an uneasiness creep into his chest. They had been on the right track, both finally on the same page and he had been feeling so good about solidifying a relationship with her. He couldn't help but think that Victor showing up had the potential to destroy it.

Drawing in a deep breath, he crossed to Nadia's room and knocked softly. "Nadi?"

The door swung open and Nadia catapulted out of the room straight into him. Her arms wound around his neck and for one stunned second, he didn't know what to do. He had predicted a shut down, not this! With a small, disorientated cry, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her neck, tightening his hold on her when he felt the sobs wracking her body mercilessly.

"It's okay baby," he murmured, running his hand over her hair, reveling in the feel of its silken weight as it brushed his forearm. "It's okay. He's gone."

"Oh God, Michelangelo," she pulled away and framed his face between her trembling hands. Her eyes, blood shot and glistening with tears, stared at him unwavering. "I thought he was going to kill me. Are you okay?"

He couldn't help the sudden laugh that escaped him. Victor hadn't even managed to lay a hand on him before he was on the ground probably wondering what the hell had just run into him."Yeah. Yeah, Naida. I'm fine. What about you?" The memory of pushing through the door and seeing Nadia's feet dangling above the ground as she hung suspended by the hands choking the life out of her flashed in his mind and his entire body went cold. He hauled her back into his arms, needing to feel her warmth. He'd almost lost her. If he'd been a minute later-.

"You finally caved on being my girlfriend Nadi," he tried to joke as he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. "I can't function without you now."

Nadia gave him a tearful smile and nodded. "Well, thanks to your impeccable ninja timing, you won't have to."

As grateful as he was that she was able to joke about a horrifying situation, it didn't erase the unease or the coldness that crawled within him. He cursed softly when he felt the sting of tears and the emotion start to well in his throat. "I know you don't want to be needed," Mikey whispered, closing his eyes and brushing his nose against hers. "But are you okay with being loved?"

He screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the gasp, waiting for her to withdraw and go back to being the Nadia he first knew. The one who was afraid of emotion, afraid of anyone caring about her. He waited…and heard nothing.

"Michelangelo."

Her voice was soft and carried a hint of amusement. When he opened his eyes, she was smiling brilliantly - tears streaming down her face, eyes alight with something he had hoped so hard to see for so long.

She lifted a hand, brushed her cool fingers over his cheek. "I'm okay with being loved," she murmured. "As long as I'm being loved by you."

The words were there, but he didn't trust himself to speak them. Emotion swamped him and the only thing he could manage to do was nod before he lowered his mouth to hers. She met him half way, tightening her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. She welcomed him and he could actually feel it. He could feel her acceptance, her relief to have someone to hold on to. He could feel her love for him. Groaning, he buried a hand in her thick hair, taking full advantage when her lips parted to invite him further. He felt her body shiver as she clung to him. Innocence gave way to temptation. Temptation fed the fire of passion that had been only a dim burn at the tip of a matchstick. Until now. Nadia whimpered, her nails bit into his shoulders.

"Please," she said quietly against his mouth.

He heard the invitation in the simple word and reacted. Not breaking the kiss, he swept her off her feet and into his arms, striding into the bedroom and kicking the door closed behind him.


	14. Karma

**A/N:** Big thanks to my friend Kris for sitting here and beta'ing this for me! Love!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic. Same goes for FFX 10, Zombieland and Mario Brothers.

**Chapter 14: Karma**

Shifting in the warm confines of Nadia's bed, closer to the source of all heat and sweetness in his world at the moment, Michelangelo circled his arm around Nadia's waist and smiled as she moved closer to him, her body pressing against his in all the right ways. She was still asleep. He could tell by the deep, even breaths she took. So why was he awake? He closed his eyes and sighed, shrugging off the question because sleep next to Nadia was much more important than finding an answer. Then the damn answer presented itself.

His phone, laying on the nightstand beside the bed, beeped repeatedly. With a grunt, he regretfully let go of Nadia and reached for it, not bothering with even the tiniest shred of civility when he answered with nothing more than a grunted "Huh?" It was one of his brothers and they were going to know right away that they'd interrupted epicness.

Raph's deep chuckle greeted him on the other end. "Did I wake ya?"

"Kinda," Mikey said, keeping his voice low. "What's up?"

"We were gonna go topside. Maybe bust some criminals. You in?"

"All four of us?"

"Yeah…kinda like old times."

Old times…those were definitely old times. Michelangelo couldn't remember the last time all four of them had gotten together for what used to be a nightly rooftop run. And as much as he wanted to stay in bed snuggled up with Nadia, as much as he wanted to relive every single moment of amazing that had happened between them -_ repeatedly_, he thought with a grin - he was still trying to shrug off some of the left over hostility from his faceoff with Victor. Just thinking about the guy made his stomach twist uneasily. Pounding on a few deserving criminals might be just what he needed to get rid of some of that pent up hostility.

"Yeah, I'm in. You wanna just meet here in ten?"

"Sounds good. See ya in a few, bro."

"Yup." Flipping his phone shut, he set it back on the nightstand. His gaze traveled to Nadia and he smiled, the ugliness slipping away for the moment. He wished it would stay away, that he could just…be all sorts of happy with the current situation. After what they'd just done, after knowing bliss like that for the first time ever, he should have been happy. He should have been thrilled. But Victor-.

"Dumb ass Victor," he muttered, sitting up and shaking his head.

Nadia made a soft noise and rolled onto her back. Her dark eyes opened and the smile was immediate. It drove the breath from his lungs and the thoughts of stupid, idiotic psychopaths from his mind.

"Hey," she murmured softly.

Michelangelo leaned over her, bracing a hand on either side of her head and nuzzling her nose. "Hey baby. Sorry I woke you up."

"What are you doing up?" She lifted her arms, looping them loosely around his neck and drawing him closer.

"Raph called. Wanted to know if I wanted to hit the rooftops with him, Don and Leo. You don't mind, do you?"

"Hm, no." She brushed her mouth across his, a breathy hint of an invitation that made him seriously rethink leaving her. "As long as you come back."

"Got a little leverage to make sure that happens?" he teased.

Her response was a smirk and a glint in her dark eyes followed by the feel of a silky smooth leg wrapping around the back of his thighs. "I think I've got a little something."

Mikey groaned and melted against her, already anticipating the sweet feel of her full lips.

"How long do you have?" she whispered against his mouth.

"Ten minutes…well…eight…ish?"

"That's not nearly enough to do what I want to do."

It was only with a decent amount of grumbling protest that he allowed Nadia to gently push him away, her laughter contradicting her actions and coaxing him back.

"Go. We'll pick this up later."

"Damn right we will." He snuck in for one last kiss before sliding out of bed and trying to remember where he'd tossed all of his things. While he searched, Nadia propped herself up on her elbows and watched him.

"Ya know, help would be nice," he muttered after a while.

She chuckled and pointed to the foot of the bed where his belt hung haphazardly over the edge, held in place by the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Much better, thanks babe."

Once fully disguised, he lingered over the task of giving Nadia a goodbye kiss, dropped one to the top of her head and was out the door, telling her to go back to sleep.

The cold was a welcome intrusion, cooling his overheated hormones as he stepped out onto the roof. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt, he went to the ledge and stared out over the city, still busy even at 1:30 in the morning. He closed his eyes and let the sounds of the city flood his mind – car horns blaring, the shouts of hookers looking for that week's meal ticket, tires on asphalt, sirens…always sirens. He wished they'd all drown out the image of Victor cowering under him, ruining what should have been pure euphoria. Images of Nadia should have been filling his head…not that scummy piece of shit that had made her life complete hell_. _Damn him anyway, still sticking around even after he'd kicked his dumb ass to the curb.

"Hey there, lover boy."

He flinched at the name and turned to face Raph, trying to find a welcoming smile and failing. "Hey."

"That…is not the face of a guy who just got laid."

"Raph!" Leo immediately scolded, coming up alongside Raph with Donnie not far behind.

"What? Late twenties Leo…I think that gives me a little leeway on slang here."

"That and he's going to have to cut back on using a lot of it when Alex brings Sophia home," Donnie added with a grin. "But he's right. That…is not the look of a guy who just got laid. What's up, Mikey?"

"Victor showed up," the youngest muttered. He couldn't stop the dark look that passed over his face. "Came over after Nadia got home from work. I got there just in time to stop him from…well…yeah."

The mood shifted drastically. Suddenly all three were on alert.

"Victor as in…the guy who got her knocked up?" Raph asked.

"Yeah…that's the guy. Got her knocked up, raped her-."

"_What?"_

Raph's eyes were suddenly blazing, his hands going to his weapons. "The guy's still in the city, right?"

"Easy Raph." Leo placed a hand on the red-masked turtles shoulder. "You two obviously know a lot more than we do. Fill us in."

Michelangelo took a deep breath, trying to center himself and shove off the anger threatening to overtake him. He'd forgotten that Leo and Don had next to no information on the delicacy of Nadia's past.

"Mikey." Leonardo approached him, settling his hands on the youngest shoulders and giving him a look full of sympathy and understanding. "Take your time. Try to keep your emotional attachments out of this. Just….pretend you're giving me a rundown of an enemy base and your tactical approach on a video game, okay?"

He nodded once and did just that, shoving his anger and confusion back and delivering a monotone, detailed account of every bit of crap Nadia had been put through. At some point Raph had whipped out his _sais_ and started spinning them while pacing, something he tended to do when he was good and pissed. Mikey had to stop, tune him out and start again but eventually he made it to the end of the story.

"There's this thing I don't understand though," he finished softly.

"What's that?"

"If he…if he raped her…then why did she go to him after what happened with her dad? You'd think that would be the last place she would go."

Leo thought about it for a minute, cutting his gaze to the concrete floor of the rooftop and rubbing his chin with his knuckles. "Have you asked her?"

"No."

Donatello cleared his throat to gain their attention before coming to join them. "I'm not a therapist or anything…but think about it. She was scared out of her mind, her parents had just disowned her. And although Victor…although he did _that…_he still promised to take care of her. In her state of mind…maybe that was the only thing she was thinking of. She was alone and pregnant. I doubt rationality entered the picture until later…when she decided to get out of California and move to the other side of the U.S. If you think about it…it makes sense. She went from irrational to rational and there are two very different circumstances within a short span of time that show just how quickly she realized her lapse."

"Good job, Braniac," Raph murmured affectionately, gripping his younger brother's shoulder and squeezing lightly.

Michelangelo took in everything Donatello had said, turning it over, fitting it in place with what he already knew. It did make sense. And he could see Nadia doing something like that. From the way she'd acted at first and remembering every little jump, every time she'd pulled away from him and into herself…yeah, he could see the Donnie logic.

"Mikey…why didn't you call us?" Leo asked, cautiously approaching the topic in a way that made Michelangelo quickly understand he wasn't trying to raise the younger terrapin's defenses.

"It happened so fast, Leo. When I saw him there…I just…reacted. I wasn't thinking past 'don't let the asshole hurt your girlfriend.'"

Leonardo nodded, giving him a perceptive smile, then pulled him into a rough embrace. "You did the right thing."

"Thanks."

Weakness suddenly overcame him. Standing there, in the embrace of his older brother, trying to fight off images of Victor strangling his girlfriend and the knowledge that he'd come so painfully close to losing her-.

His heart lurched, his eyes burned. He tightened his arms around Leo and pushed his face into the fabric of his older brother's sweatshirt, trying to hide evidence of his weakness. But he couldn't stop it. Nadia was…she was everything to him. They may have just been starting out on the whole relationship thing but he knew, without even the tiniest shred of doubt, that she was his other half. They just…fit together. She was the Wichita to his Columbus, the Yuna to his Tidus…the freakin' Princess Toadstool to his Mario! Now that he had her…losing her was not an option. And yet, he almost had.

"Hey…it's okay Mikey," Leo murmured softly, his stances slackening as some of the Leader drained out of him, replaced by the simplicity of being just a big brother there to comfort and hold. "You stopped him."

"I know," he muttered thickly, sniffling. "I just…if I would have been even a few minute later-."

"But you weren't," the eldest said firmly. "You were there in time, you saved her, you got rid of the bad guy and now you're both safe."

"And ya both totally did it," Raph threw in – a desperate attempt to lighten the situation. The only thing he managed to do was gain himself an elbow in the side from Leo.

Mikey pushed back from Leo and smiled, childishly wiping the back of his sleeved arm across his beak and sniffling loudly. "Thanks Raph."

The red-masked mutant tipped his head in acknowledgement, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking out over the city. It was Raph's very blunt way of saying 'let's stop with the emotional crap, please.' Noticing it and knowing it well, Mikey took a fortifying breath, shrugging away the clinging fear and doubts, at least for the time being.

"Well, let's hit the roof tops. That was the point of all if this anyway, right? Besides, I could use a distraction."

"Yeah. Keep an eye out for anything that looks off…but you know the game…Central Park and back," Leo paused, a devious grin curving his mouth. "Last one back does Raph's dishes."

The mutual look of horror passed over the faces of the three younger brothers. They all knew the state of war zone that was Raph's kitchen at the moment…and none of them wanted a single thing to do with it.

"Later dudes," Mikey muttered, turning and taking off over the concrete.

With shouts of abrupt denial, the other three quickly fell in behind him. They moved silently from rooftop to rooftop, ghosting over the city, their laughs and light-hearted bribes trailing after them. Close to Central Park, Mikey picked up the pace, not at all surprised when Don did the same. Out of the four, Don and Mikey were notably the quickest. When the purple-masked brother gained, Mikey shot a grin over his shoulder at him. "Looks like someone's been practicing."

"Maybe you've just been slacking," Don quipped. "All caught up in Nadia. You might'a lost your edge Mikey!"

"Ha! Fat chance on that! You _wish_ I'd lose my edge." He looked back to check on the rest of the competition. The smile fell from his face when he realized that they'd stopped a few buildings back. "Uh…we lost our opposition, dude."

"What?"

They both came to a stop and waited to see if the older two were going to make a move – if they were working out some team strategy on defeating their younger brothers. When neither of them moved, Mikey and Don quickly backtracked to join up with them.

"What gives, guys?" Mikey called out when they were a few yards away. "You that hyped to do Raph's dishes?"

The eldest shot them a look that was all business and very clearly meant one thing – slip into ninja mode…_fast._

Don and Mikey did just that, silencing their footsteps as they approached and drawing their weapons.

"What's going on?" Don asked, his gaze traveling over the expanse of dark alley below them.

"Nothin' good," Raph muttered back.

Like a pack of rabid, starved hyenas, four rough looking men stood hunkered over the body of another. Two were talking in hushed, rapid voices and the other two were making quick work out of tearing through the belongings of the man lying between them.

"They're not Dragon's," Don said. "But I recognize the tattoos. The West End Slayers…that gang that was just busted for major drug trafficking and organized prostitution….that's their mark on the necks."

"Guess a few of them slipped under the radar," Mikey murmured.

He glanced at Leo, trying to gauge the level of resolve on his older brother's face, but failing. He looked indecisive which was normal for him with moments like these. Busting up Purple Dragon's was one thing – dropping in on a group of four men who were all part of a gang well known for their involvement in drugs…it was sketchy. They could be riding a high, which would make them unpredictable and dangerous.

"Whadaya say, Fearless?" Raph prompted, his grip tightening on his _sais_ in anticipation.

Leo shifted, his gaze narrowing. "I think," he said hesitantly, "that we need to at least see if the guy on the ground is okay." He reached back and pulled his _katanas_ free, the steel quietly hissing against its leather bounds. "Just…be careful. Stick to the shadows until you get a feel for the guys. One twitch in the wrong direction and we're out of there. Nothing all that impressive about four on four anyway."

Raph smirked and quickly disappeared over the edge of the building, eager to do anything that involved weapons, fists and a few straggling high-end criminals. Don was right behind him, always the one to keep an eye on the impulsive brother while Mikey and Leo took the less aggressive route. As Leo slipped off to the right of the group, Mikey took up the left, quickly scouting out Don and Raph on the opposite side before focusing on the group.

The wallet had been thrown aside, business cards and receipts littering the ground around it. What money and credit cards there may have been were doubtfully now in the possession of the group of men still talking in hushed, rapid voices.

The man lying on the ground hadn't moved once and though his upper body was hidden by the dark shadows, it was obvious by the growing pool of deep, slick crimson around him that the damage had been done and was quite possibly irreparable.

"Ya think for a fuckin' cop he'd have more than a couple twenties on him," the one closest to Mikey muttered. He was short, but built in a way that strongly hinted at a handful of years spent tossing back steroids with an energy drink chaser. Every bit of dark hair had been shaved save for the strip of pure black running down the center. The skin uncovered was thickly tattooed and each ear held piercings of the most painful looking variety – barbells through places most never wanted them.

Beside him, a lanky blond inhaled deeply from the cigarette clamped between his teeth, then exhaled it on an unhealthy, dry cackle. "Guy's probably got it all in the bank. Bet the credit limit on every single one of these cards is jacked up more than a couple g's."

Mikey seethed as he listened to them. A cop…the guy on the ground was a damn _cop_. There was nothing right about any of this. And he wasn't the only one who thought so. From behind the two that he had yet to hear anything from, an arm appeared, darting out quickly to circle the nearest neck before strangling off the startled shout and dragging the man back into the dark.

"Van, dude…what the hell-."

The blonds words were quickly cut off as the other silent partner suddenly slumped forward, his glazed eyes rolling back in his head. Immediately the remaining two were on the defense, jumping to their feet, eyes darting wildly around.

"Whoever's out there, you better show you're fuckin' self right the hell now!" the stocky one growled as he pulled a pair of brass knuckles from his back pocket and slipped them on.

Michelangelo grinned and rolled his eyes. Brass knucks…how predictable. How entirely ineffective.

"Skeet…dude," the blond muttered, backing nervously away from the body. "What if Vincenzo's guys are lookin' for us still. Maybe we should-."

"Shut your damn trap, C.J," Skeet hissed, his narrowed eyes - far too dark, pupils far too wide - never ceasing in their movements. Of course, he was looking in the direction his buddies had disappeared which made it all too easy for Mikey to slip up behind "C.J." and deliver a solid blow to the base of his skull, rendering the man entirely useless.

There was a blur of movement beside him and Leo entered the scene, resting the hilt of his blade against Skeet's neck. The stocky man went still, his hands jerking up beside his face.

"Easy man…I didn't do shit!"

"We'll see," Leo returned in a disinterested voice. "Mikey, check the body."

Mikey stepped out of the shadows, no longer caring if Skeet got a good look at him. Usually when the less brain-dead criminals did it acted as a deterrent from pursuing the lifestyle. The string of surprised curses when Skeet got a good look at him were of little interest to him. Mikey knelt down beside the man sprawled over the pavement, avoiding the tell-tale pool of blood entirely. Even as he reached to check for a pulse, his eyes roaming over what remained of the man's face, he knew it was pointless. That much blood…the chances of even the faintest heartbeat were non-existent.

The skin was still warm but that was the only indicator that there had once been life in the man's battered body. He felt a pang of remorse over the senselessness of the entire situation as he sighed and pulled his hand away. "Nothin' dude."

"So, what's with this, huh?" Raph barked, sliding out of the darkness to interrogate a now trembling Skeet. The man watched Raph, eyes wide and terrified.

"Killin' a cop." The red-masked mutant tsk'ed, shaking his head. "Not a good move, _Skeet_. You got a reason for pullin' stupid shit like that?"

"He's the one who fucked up!" Skeet stuttered. He swallowed hard, wincing as the action caused Leo's _katana_ blade to dig a little deeper into the flesh of his neck. "The guy came up to us…asked for a little dust…flashed his cash around like he was some fancy, up-state hooker or somethin'. He had names…names we knew. Figured there ain't nothin' wrong with some guy who knew guys we ran with. We got high with the guy. Me and C.J, we ain't down with the dust so we did a little meth instead. Van asked him to pay up and…and the guy says he's a cop. Van was trippin' hard core…hadn't even come down off his first high and he's got the next up and runnin' already. He flipped shit. We tried to pull him off but then the guy takes a swing at Van and Diesel looses it. Ain't nothin' we can do to stop two guys tweekin' on dust."

Raph watched him, eyes narrowed, obviously arguing with himself on whether or not the guy was worthy of lifting a hand for. Of course, he was. They always were.

Raph's hand shot out, connecting solidly with Skeet's jaw with a sharp _crack._ Leo quickly pulled his _katana_ away to avoid any further damage to the man as he fell to his knees and slumped over sideways.

"Next time a little warning would be nice," the eldest said as slid his weapon back into its casing, stepping over Skeet's body with little more than a disdainful glance at the dark-skinned man.

"Like ya didn't know it was comin'," Raph muttered darkly.

Don joined his brothers, stopping beside the wallet to retrieve the cards and put them back in their rightful place. "Someone should call the cops…at least do this poor guy the favor of -," his voice drifted off as his eyes scanned the remaining contents of the wallet. His brows drew down and he stood.

Seeing the look of confused suspicion on his brother's face, Mikey felt a cold wave of uneasiness settle over him. He looked back at the man, trying to piece together an identity before Don gave it to him. Usually that look said something was wrong….seriously wrong. The man's face was a mess of thick cuts and thicker blood. Dark eyes stared vacantly upward, his mouth gaping open, forever fixed in an unheard scream. Past a trace of disgust laced in pity, nothing struck a chord…only plucked at it with quiet perseverance.

Mikey tilted his head to the side and frowned. Did they know any cops? He didn't think so.

"What did you say the name of the guy who got Nadia pregnant was?"

The uneasiness manifested immediately into a horrid sickness, settling deep in the pit of his stomach. For a minute, he thought he would throw up as he looked harder at the man's face, recognition slapping him across the face viciously.

"Victor," he muttered, now able to see past the blood to the man that hid behind it. "The guys name was Victor."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Over a year…I know. It's horrible. And I'm sorry. I've had a lot on my plate – birth of our second daughter, college graduation, getting a job in management and then having a baby who has slept through the night TWICE since she was born in February. Yeah…twice. But I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting so long on this one. Not too long now! At least this chapter lacks a cliffhanger. Thanks to Mikell for being my awesome beta!

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic

**Chapter 15: Relief**

Whether someone was deserving of the end they were given or not wasn't for the living to decide. Their end – be it sudden, be it drawn out and painful, be it swift and merciful – that was all up to powers stronger than Michelangelo could even begin to imagine. Of course, that fact didn't stop him from feeling a thread of satisfaction over the gruesome demise of the man that had terrorized Nadia. As he stared down at him, half of his bloodied face bathed in the red/orange glow of the street lights reaching into the alley, he couldn't stop himself from thinking 'the asshole deserved it.'

He would never voice that opinion out loud, especially not in front of Leonardo. The eldest was too honor-bound to allow any comments like that from his youngest brother without reprimanding him for them, regardless of the situation.

"Someone should…I dunno…call the cops or something," Michelangelo shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away from the body.

"No need," Leonardo mumbled as the distant wail of sirens approached. He turned to Michelangelo. "Why don't you and Raph get home. Talk to Nadia. Don and I will wait here and make sure that they're heading this way."

"Come on Bro." Raphael clasped a hand on Michelangelo's shoulder and turned him further from the gruesome scene.

With an unsettling sense of numbness, Michelangelo fell into step beside his older brother. They didn't take to the rooftops. Instead they trudged down the sidewalks of New York, hoods up and shoulders hunched against the cold. Neither spoke. There was really no need for them too. That was the norm after stumbling upon a body with them. It was the one time that Michelangelo didn't feel the need to talk nor ever wanted to. Leo had tried to get him to talk the first time it had ever happened. He was fourteen and the deceased probably wasn't far off that same age. The situation hadn't been much different from tonight – gang related activity. A bunch of thugs were fighting over a recent drug score, each riding a dangerous high that had put them in a volatile mindset, turning them on one another. The youngest was the only casualty, the others taking off quickly after Michelangelo and Leonardo appeared to break up the fight.

Michelangelo's method of coping had been silence and Leonardo had not been willing to accept his sudden change of demeanor. He's pushed him to talk and instead of talking, Michelangelo had blown up on him with a ferocity that rivaled Raph's. Splinter had taken over and calmed the young terrapin and Leo had quickly learned that when it came to something like stumbling over a murder, it was best to let his little brother sort things out himself. Of course, Leo being Leo, that hadn't stopped him from being concerned, which is why he had probably sent him home with Raph. Raph got it. He always did. And more importantly, Leo got that Raph got it.

"Kinda wish we would have just left the guy there," Mikey muttered after his thought process started getting a little too destructive for comfort.

"Yeah," Raph responded after letting the silence drag for a while longer. "I know."

"Now the cops are gonna have to deal with him and he'll probably get some grand ass ceremony being he's on the damn force and all. Who cares that the guy is a rapist. Who cares that he was a raving psychopath who tried to kill Nadia…let's give him a proper send off for wearin' a damn badge that he didn't even deserve to wear." He would have stopped at that. Part of him thought that he _should _have stopped at that. But a larger part of him understood the importance of using the outlet instead of keeping every raging emotion in. "And you know what? I don't get it. I don't _fucking get it,_ Raph. What the hell would someone like Nadia see in a guy like that? What could he possibly have that would have made her want to have anything to do with him?"

Again the older brother let the silence drag on before responding.

"It wasn't what he had. It was what she had," he said. "Nadia's a good person, Mikey. A good person who deserved to be loved by people around her and fact is…she wasn't. So here comes this guy who puts up a good front, suckers her in…gives her that attention that she's been denied. Nadia's got a big heart. She just let the wrong person into it and got lost before she could figure out what the hell was goin' on."

His words were riddled with such insight that Michelangelo had to look over at him to make sure Leo hadn't taken his place. He felt deflated in the wake of them, left with no other option but to smile begrudgingly and say, "You know…sometimes you say these things and I have to check and see if you're Leo."

Raph chuckled softly. "Not even close."

"Closer than ya think." Mikey nudged him affectionately and they fell back into that comfortable silence where the thoughts weren't quite as troubling now. It continued on until they reached Nadia's building where they both stopped, looking up at the darkened windows of her apartment.

"What the hell are we gonna tell her?"

"I'll take care of it."

"Raph…dude, you don't have to-."

"Yeah," he said, cutting Mikey off. "But I'm gonna. Come on, you can wait it out at my place."

He followed Raph up and waited for his brother to unlock the door to his apartment. "Raph, you don't have to do this."

He was already knocking on the door though, clearly ignoring the younger brother's protest. "Go sit down. I'll come get ya when I'm done talkin' to her."

The relief was almost overwhelming. He didn't want to be the one telling Nadia that the man who had raped her and left her pregnant had been brutally murdered. He didn't want her to see the flash of justice in his eyes or hear the uncaring words from his mouth. Because as much as he hated it, he didn't care that Victor was dead. As far as he was concerned, the man deserved worse. Nadia didn't need that ugliness. She needed someone to be in control and phrase everything without a trace of malice which wasn't something he was capable of right now.

He didn't bother with the lights. The drapes were pulled back and the moon was a sliver of a fingernail against the smogged up backdrop of the star speckled sky. He stared at it intently. For a moment, he envied his older brother the freedom he now had – living in his own place, free to push back thick drapes and actually see the night through the long floor to ceiling windows instead of a rusted sewer grate. He could stare at that moon for hours and just…not think.

He sank onto the couch, took a deep breath and did just that.

Nadia shifted in bed, rolling onto her back and groaning as she stretched her arms over her head, her muscles aching pleasantly in the wake of what she could only define as some good quality loving. Sleep coaxed her back with a promise of dreams that would never amount to the real thing but for some reason she couldn't succumb. Eyes closed, she frowned slightly and moved to her side, pulling the covers over her head.

She was almost asleep when the disturbance came again and this time he realized what it was. Someone was knocking at her door.

With a start, she sat up, eyes wide and fear quickly shredding the euphoric state Michelangelo had left her in. Her limbs went numb and she clutched the comforter to her chest. It wasn't Victor. It couldn't be Victor. Even _he_ wasn't stupid enough to come back after facing off with a muscle bound mutant that had threatened to end him if he returned.

Swallowing thickly, Nadia slipped from the bed and grabbed her sweatshirt from where it hung haphazardly over the nightstand. Her sweatpants weren't far from them. She pulled them on and quietly made her way out into the living room. The knock sounded again, rattling her nerves and she stopped moving to take a calming breath and slowly let it out. When she started to move again, it was towards the kitchen. Though she knew that the chances of her being able to wield a weapon in the face of Victor were very small, the thought of at least having something eased her distress. She pulled a knife from the block on the counter with a shaking hand and suddenly felt cold.

_Put it back. You don't need that. No one's here. You're just imagining things. _

Her mind spun irrationally, attempting to lure her into a false sense of security. But there was that knock again…and no sane person knocked on the door at 4am.

"Nadia, its Raph."

Relief swept over her and she sagged against the counter, hardly able to stand in the wake of it. Setting the knife down, she quickly crossed to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open.

"Hey," she greeted, her shaky smile matching the tremble in her voice. "I thought you guys were out doing that…rooftop thing or whatever it was."

"Yeah, we were. Can I come in?"

Nadia nodded and moved aside. Something in the way he held himself told her that he wasn't there for a friendly visit.

"Where's Michelangelo?"

"Over at my place. Listen, Nadia…why don't ya sit down-."

"What's going on?" she asked in a low voice. The fear was back and gnawing at her insides. "Did he get hurt? Is he okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, he's fine-."

Nadia ran trembling hands through her hair, blindly hoping the action would stall her brain from the wild circles it was turning in. "He got a hold of Victor, didn't he?"

"Well, someone sure as hell did," Raph muttered.

Raph's words struck out like a foot, tripping Nadia's run-away train of thought and leaving it flat on its back in a stunned daze. "What?"

"Sit down, Nadia."

He reached over and shoved the chair beside him out for her to sink into which she did with a complete lack of awareness. He watched her for a moment, his gaze hard yet searching. So very Raph, and so very not. She focused on that - how he could look so unyielding yet concerned at the same time. It was an age old tactic she often times fell back on after Victor had raped her. Focusing on things that made no sense, things that created a form of contradiction, had always lent a sense of comfort to an uncomfortable situation. She knew it was strange. She was well aware of the fact that it was an unhealthy way to deal with trauma…but for her, it worked.

"Victor's dead."

He said it with no infelction what-so-ever. He didn't reach out to take her hand. He didn't try to lessen the blow the words might have on her. He was like the cop at a crime scene addressing the family members of the victim, delivering the news with as little attachment as possible.

"Dead," she returned in much the same way. She was suddenly highly aware of the way the slats of the chair pressed against her back. Cool wood…uncomplicated, steady-and it seemed to be the only thing holding her there, securing her against the confusing onslaught of guilt-tainted relief.

"You gonna breathe?"

His voice drifted to her through the haze, sounding as if it were coming through a tunnel from a great distance. She frowned at him. She was breathing, wasn't she?

"Jesus, Nadia-." He reached for her and the touch of his hand against her wrist jolted her out of her bewildered state, pulling from her the breath she had been holding.

"Oh-," she muttered pitifully. "I'm sorry…I didn't realize…he's…he's dead?"

Raph stalled for a minute, watching her warily. "Yeah."

"And Mikey didn't-."

His response was quicker now-nearly fierce. "No. Didn't have a thing to do with it."

She fell quiet again, processing the information.

"How?"

She dreaded the answer but the question leapt from her mouth before she could stop it.

"Nadia, you don't wanna know that."

"I want to see him."

"Nadia-."

He might as well not have even been talking. She pushed away from the table and grabbed her coat from the neighboring chair, shoving her arms into the sleeves. Shaking fingers pulled at the zipper.

"I'm not takin' ya to him."

"Then I'll find him myself."

The touch of his hand at her shoulder had her jerking away and whirling to face him. "If you're not going to bring me to him - if you can't _show me_ that that sick bastard is dead, then I'll find him myself."

"There's no point-."

She vehemently cut him off, shoving his hand away when he tried to reach for her again. "Yes there is. _Yes there is. _ You don't get it. I _have_ to see him. I have to _know_ that he's dead, that he can't come back and…and that he can't _do_ anything to me anymore."

"What's seein' the guy gonna accomplish? Ya think just lookin' at a body's gonna give you some kinda peace?"

He took her shoulders firmly, not allowing her the opportunity to shrug him off.

"I went back and stared at the guy who took Splinter from us, who put us through weeks of not knowin' if he was alive or dead. Even lookin' at his dead face for hours didn't make any of that change. What he did to ya was awful but no amount of lookin' at him is gonna make that go away."

"I know that," she hissed, fighting even though she could feel her resolve crumbling.

"Do you trust me?"

She jerked away, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. "What does trusting you have to do with any of this?"

"Do you?"

With a sigh, she regarded him tiredly. "Yes."

"Then trust me when I say the guy's dead."

She wanted to let it go. She wanted it to be enough – but it wasn't.

"Do you think he suffered?"

He was silent for a moment – probably questioning her sanity. "Yeah," he finally answered. "Yeah…he suffered."

Tears burned her eyes and her throat suddenly felt thick. Emotions made it impossible to breathe, filling her chest painfully. "I hope it took him forever to die," she whispered.

When he reached for her this time she fell into his arms, giving into the tumultuous mangled emotions with a strangled sob. She buried her face against his shoulder, gripping the fabric of his sweatshirt. It hurt. She never thought that Victor's death would hurt – but it did.

She barely registered the sound of the door creaking open, the lull of the masculine voices or the way Raphael carefully shifted her into Michelangelo's familiar embrace.

He told her that he was there, that it would be okay. It wasn't. Her rapist was dead and she couldn't stop crying. She couldn't stop the painful tightening in her chest that she had at fist first thought was some nasty combination of fear and grief.

But it wasn't fear. It wasn't grief. It wasn't even remorse. And finally knowing what it was made everything so much worse.

It was relief.


	16. Drift Away

**A/N:** Well…it might be kind of a copout but here it is…the end of Willful Love. To be honest I could have gone a few different ways to drag this thing out but it would have just been fun and fluff and not really helpful to the overall plot of the story. So instead of dragging it out and keeping you all waiting, I chose to end it instead so that both Nadia and I can move on with our child-filled futures. A huge thank you to Mikell and Melody for being such great beta's. Thank you to everyone who followed this, who made it a favorite, and to every kind, heartfelt review that you took the time to leave. I appreciate everything and thank you all for helping me see this fic to the end.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of TMNT and make no profit from the writing of this fic. I also do not own The Hunger Games but there is one small reference so better safe than sorry!

**Drift Away**

Closure wasn't something Nadia ever thought she would get when it came to Victor. And yet…she got it. In the most unlikely way, she got it. It came one late evening when the weather had started to shift and windows were being left open in hopes to gain some reprieve from the New York heat that everyone was looking forward to seeing the end of. Except the guys. They loved the heat. She'd caught Michelangelo basking in it once when she'd come home early in the afternoon from work. Thinking he had passed out, she'd tapped him and asked him as much only to have him respond with a sleepy "feels good." And she couldn't deny that it looked like it felt that way…so instead she'd joined him.  
The evening the phone call came proceeded a day that had been much the same way – sunny, unseasonably warm and uneventful. Nadia had just stepped out of the shower when she heard the first notes of her ringtone through the door. Quickly wrapping a towel around her, she sprinted to the kitchen table where her cell phone lay and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Um…yes, hello. Is this…is this Nadia Ramos?"

The voice wasn't one she recognized at all and something about the nervous waver in it made her want to hang up the phone. Instead, she answered, "Yes, this is she."

There was a long pause on the other line. "This is Barbara."

The name was familiar. And not familiar in a good way. It sparked a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach that had her reaching for a chair in hopes of gaining some stability. There was something about that name that brought too much back. "Barbara?"

"Victors wife."

The breath left her in a sudden rush and she sank into the chair she'd been holding onto. "Barbara-."

"I'm sorry to be calling you. Well, no…that's a lie. I'm not sorry. I needed you to know."

Nadia's eyes searched the apartment for Michelangelo. She suddenly wanted him near, yet at the same time she wanted him as far away as possible. Her ugly past was coming back for her, threatening her new life. "What do you want?"

"I don't want anything from you," Barbara said quickly. "I just want you to know."

"To know what?"

"That I know…everything. I know that Victor was with you. I know that your child is his. And I know that he forced himself on you."

Her throat was suddenly dry and it took a painful amount of effort just to ask her how.

"Because…" Barbara stopped and sighed softly. The sound wavered. She was crying. "Because he did the same thing to me. I admire you, Nadia…for running like you did. For getting away. You may have had a moment of weakness where you came to our home and wanted him to be there for you…but you still left and got as far away from him as you could. I only wish I could have had the courage to do the same thing."

It was a shock, hearing that Victor had treated his own wife the same way he had treated Nadia, hearing that he'd done it for years. The pain she once felt for herself returned, but this time it was for Barbara. "I'm so sorry-."

"I would have killed him."

The statement was rushed, spoken in a whisper filled with conviction. "If he hadn't come to you…if he hadn't gotten himself killed….I would have done it. I was going to…"

Her voice drifted off and an uncomfortable silence fell over the line. Nadia wasn't sure how to break it. She didn't know what to say. Nothing she'd force herself to deal with had ever involved talking to the wife of the man who had raped her and listening to her admit her intent to kill him.

"Not that it matters. Not now. I just…I wanted to call you and tell you…that I'm sorry. For what he did to you…for what he did to me…for what he put us both through. I'm sorry."

Nadia swallowed hard. A tear traced down her cheek and splattered against her arm. "So am I," she murmured.

"We can put it behind us now."

She didn't sound convinced. She sounded like she was searching for the answer to a question. And although she had no obligation to this other woman, she found she fiercely wanted to give it to her.

"Yes, we can."

And there it was. Almost like a chunk of ice breaking away from the berg that held it, her past drifted away and she felt lighter than she had in years. She felt relieved. And not in the way she'd felt relieved upon finding out Victor was dead. This was better. It was healthy. It was closure.

"Thank you, Nadia."

"Thank _you_, Barbara."

She disconnected the call and laid her phone down on the table beside her, staring at it for a long time. Then, leaving it there, she pushed away from the table and started towards her room. The lull of a soft, male voice met her halfway and she smiled.

Michelangelo lay propped up on the bed, Tavian sprawled over his blanket covered plastron and sleeping with his tiny mouth slightly agape. Stroking the infant's thick black hair slowly, Michelangelo read-.

"The Hunger Games?!" Nadia quietly choked out once she saw the title.

Mikey looked up and flashed her a grin. "What? It's a good book!"

Nadia rolled her eyes and crawled across the bed to him, settling beside him and releasing a content sigh when his arm stole around her shoulders and pulled her even closer. "How long has he been sleeping?"

"Since they got to the Capitol. The fancy people bored the hell out of the kid."

Nadia reached up and drew the tip of her finger down the curve of Tavian's fragile jaw, the simple band of gold on her ring finger glinting in the light. Tavian squirmed a little and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Mi niño precioso," she whispered, leaning up and kissing the spot she'd just touched.

"I understood like…half of that," Mikey muttered.

Nadia laughed and cleaned up even further to grace his wide mouth with a kiss before whispering, "Te amo, mi Tortuga."

"And all of that. I love you too." Mikey gave her an indulgent smile before lowering his head to deepen the kiss.

One day, she would tell him about the phone call from Barbara. But not tonight. Tonight was new and her past was still drifting away, pulled by a dark ocean that would eventually swallow it whole. Her future – her husband and her son, the life they'd created together – was all right here in the room her and Michelangelo shared. And all she needed to do was just be in it and continue to let that past drift until it was nothing.


End file.
